Agartala: Three minor girls from a remote Tripura village, who had gone missing from Dhalai district, have been traced in Gujarat and a suspected human trafficking angle is being investigated, a senior police officer said on Thursday.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Dhalai district Uttam Banik said the girls, aged 15 and 16 years, were traced within hours of reaching Ahmedabad following coordinated efforts between the Tripura and Gujarat Police.
He said a complaint regarding the disappearance of the three girls was received at Ganganagar Police Station, following which a case was registered and an investigation launched.
“During the investigation, it was found that the girls had voluntarily left with a person. They travelled from Ganganagar to Agartala and then reached Ahmedabad via Kolkata,” Banik said.
The officer said Tripura Police continuously tracked their movement and shared their photographs, boarding passes and live location with Gujarat Police. “By the time we tracked them, they had already exited the Ahmedabad airport. Based on the information shared by us, Gujarat Police detained them within eight hours,” he said.
Banik identified the accused as Mukesh Reang, a resident of the Ganganagar Police Station area.
He said a police team from Tripura was on its way to Gujarat to bring the girls back after obtaining a transit remand.
The girls have spoken to their parents through a video call, the officer said, adding that they were initially unwilling to return home. “They were allegedly promised jobs. This could be a case of human trafficking, but the matter is under investigation,” Banik said.
He said the three girls are school dropouts.
A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 137(2) and 143(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further investigation is underway.