Beldanga Trafficking Attempt: Class 6 Girl Escapes Trap at Sealdah; Two Friends Still Missing

BELDANGA: A chilling human trafficking attempt was thwarted by the sheer presence of mind of a young schoolgirl, though her two older companions remain missing. A Class 6 student from Beldanga managed to escape a trafficker's trap at Sealdah station, successfully returning to her family, while police have launched a massive manhunt for the accused and the other two missing teenagers.

The Decoy and the Trap The incident unfolded on Friday morning when three schoolgirls—studying in Class 6, 7, and 9—left their homes in Beldanga under the pretext of going to school. Instead, they traveled to Motijheel Park in Lalbagh for an outing. While at the park, an unidentified young man struck up a conversation with the girls. Gaining their trust, he lured them onto a Sealdah-bound train with the false promise of taking them on a tour of Kolkata.

A Narrow Escape at Sealdah The situation took a dark turn upon reaching Sealdah station. When the youth revealed his actual plan to take the girls to Bengaluru, the youngest of the group, a Class 6 student, realized the grave danger they were in.

Sensing an opportunity to escape, the terrified girl approached a female passenger, Tarjina Bibi, who was standing on the platform. The young girl pleaded for help and explained her ordeal. Tarjina Bibi, who was waiting at the station after a doctor's appointment, took the child under her wing and brought her back to her own village, Kulgachi, located in Bhagawangola.

Safe Return and Ongoing Search On Saturday morning, Tarjina Bibi handed the young girl over to the Bhagawangola police station. Coordinating with the Beldanga police, authorities successfully reunited the traumatized student with her relieved family.

However, the fate of the Class 7 and Class 9 students remains unknown. Following the incident, the families of all three girls filed separate missing persons reports. Beldanga and Bhagawangola police have initiated a joint search operation, scanning CCTV footage and gathering intelligence to track down the accused youth and safely rescue the two missing schoolgirls.