Jharkhand: RPF foils trafficking bid, rescues two girls; one held

Ranchi, Feb 25 (PTI) Ranchi Railway Police rescued two girls who were allegedly being trafficked to Delhi on the pretext of employing them for domestic work and arrested a woman, officials said on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old woman was intercepted on Monday during a checking drive after the arrival of the Jharkhand Sampark Kranti Express at Ranchi railway station.

The rescued girls, aged between 13 and 16 years, hail from Simdega district, they said.

The woman has been identified as Reshma Devi, a resident of Karari in Agar Nagar, Delhi, and several cases against her are pending at Jharkhand’s Gumla police station under sections related to kidnapping, rape, human trafficking, and POCSO Act, a senior railway police officer said.

Ranchi Railway police station sub-inspector Sohan Lal said, "We rescued two girls and arrested the accused on Monday night during a checking drive in the train. When asked about their destination, the girls failed to give a clear response and said they were travelling to Delhi with the woman. On questioning, the woman claimed she was taking them for domestic work." During detailed interrogation by a woman sub-inspector at the RPF post, the accused allegedly admitted that she was taking the girls to Delhi on the promise of providing domestic jobs with a monthly salary of Rs 14,000 to Rs 15,000 each, while she would receive a commission of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per month per girl, he said.

She also admitted that she had previously taken several girls from Jharkhand to Delhi. It also came to light that a case against her had already been registered at Gumla police station under sections related to kidnapping, rape, human trafficking, and the POCSO Act on December 5, 2023.

The woman has been handed over to Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) at Kotwali police station.

Both girls have been handed over to a safe shelter (Premashray). PTI RPS RPS MNB