Four Girls Among Six Rescued From Suspected Trafficking Bid At Bengal-Nepal Border

Four teenage girls and two women from Tripura were rescued from a suspected human trafficking bid at West Bengal’s Panitanki border while allegedly being taken to Nepal on the pretext of dance bar jobs, officials said.

The girls were intercepted by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at Panitanki on Thursday while attempting to cross into Nepal with two men. The intervention was carried out with Kosi Lok Manch, a partner organisation of Just Rights for Children, after officials suspected that the group could be vulnerable to trafficking.

The two men accompanying the girls reportedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for taking them across the international border. During counselling, the girls said they had been promised jobs as dancers in Nepal but could not provide clear details about their destination, the establishment where they were supposed to work or the duration of their stay.

Officials said four of the six rescued were minors. One teenage girl and one adult woman had also reportedly been reported missing by their families in Tripura.

According to a separate account of the operation, the SSB’s Border Intelligence Team intercepted the group during a routine check at Old Bridge, Panitanki, around 6.30 pm. The Anti Human Trafficking Unit of the SSB, Intelligence Bureau and other agencies subsequently joined the questioning.

The two men were identified as Nirmal Debbarma, 25, from Tripura, and Chinmay Basak, 32, from West Bengal. Officials also identified a woman from Cooch Behar and a manager of a dance bar in Biratnagar, Nepal, as alleged facilitators in the suspected trafficking network. A search has reportedly been launched for the woman, while authorities are expected to seek action against the Nepal based suspect.

The six girls were subsequently handed over to Kharibari Police Station following counselling and verification. Authorities are investigating the case and are expected to reunite the victims with their families after completing the necessary procedures.

Panitanki, in Darjeeling district, is a major transit point on the India Nepal border. Officials and child rights organisations have highlighted the vulnerability of young women and girls to trafficking through employment offers and promises of dance performances.