Reported by: Farhana Ahmed
North Lakhimpur: A series of recent disappearances involving minor girls across north and upper Assam has intensified concerns over the rising threat of human trafficking in the region, particularly among vulnerable children from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.
The latest incident was reported on May 16, when 17-year-old Mausumi Pegu, daughter of Bhimlal Pegu, a Class XII student from Homora Pathar in Bihpuria, Lakhimpur district, allegedly went missing from her maternal aunt’s house during the early hours of the morning.
On the same day, two schoolgirls studying in Class X from Dhemaji district, Mamta Singh and Nikita Singh, daughters of Sanjay Singh and Achala Singh of Tari Basti in Bera Chapori under Jonai subdivision also reportedly disappeared.
Earlier, on May 7, 18-year-old Rinkumoni Das, a Class XII student from Gohpur in Biswanath district, went missing while on the way to her hostel.
Another troubling case was reported on March 30, when two minor girls, Khushi Tanti and Gayatri Pathak, both below 17 years of age, disappeared from Lalukijan village under Joyrampur in Dhemaji district.
Similarly, three minor girls studying in Classes VII and VIII went missing from Philobari in Tinsukia district on March 21. The girls, daughters of Montu Tati, Manbhai Tati and Ajay Shah from nearby villages, later contacted their families while travelling by train to Bengaluru, indicating they may have already been taken outside Assam.
In Lakhimpur district, 16-year-old Deepa Gowala from Rajgarh Kachari Gaon was reported missing from her home on November 4, 2025. Her family later informed police that she had reportedly been secretly using a mobile phone before her disappearance.
The repeated incidents have sparked fears that several of these cases may be connected to organized trafficking networks operating within Assam and across other states. Investigators and activists suspect that minors are being trafficked for sexual exploitation, domestic labor, forced work and other illegal activities.
Concerns have deepened following the circulation of a viral audio recording on social media, allegedly involving a trafficker from Nagaon district identified as Rajiv Rahman. In the recording, the accused is purportedly heard discussing a sex racket in Kerala involving girls trafficked from Assam, including financial transactions and the use of victims in lodges.
In another major case on November 4, 2025, police rescued three teenage girls from Duarmara Singpho Tea Estate in Tinsukia district while they were allegedly being transported to Harmuti in Lakhimpur district. Police said vehicle driver Dipak Phukan revealed that two suspected traffickers Peter Sona and Umakanta Chetry alias Tike had hired him for Rs 8,000 to transport the girls.
Investigators alleged that the accused targeted poor families with false promises of jobs and better opportunities for their daughters. Police further claimed that Peter Sona had been involved in trafficking women and girls from Assam’s tea garden regions to other states for years, allegedly selling victims for amounts ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh. Although six people were arrested in connection with the case, the main accused is still absconding.
In a separate breakthrough, railway authorities at Tinsukia Railway Station rescued 26 minor girls and young women on August 1, 2025, who were allegedly being trafficked to Tamil Nadu using fake documents. The accused, Bidyut Dutta, reportedly claimed the victims were being taken for jobs in a textile factory.
Later, on November 27, 2025, Dibrugarh police arrested 46-year-old Vijay Patnaik at Tinsukia Railway Station and rescued three minors, including two girls and a boy. Police described him as a repeated offender allegedly linked to a wider trafficking network.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau’s 2024 report, Assam recorded 108 human trafficking cases the highest in the Northeast followed by Tripura with 62 cases. The report documented 155 trafficking victims in Assam, including 96 minors below the age of 18.
Among the victims, 126 were female and 29 were male, highlighting the disproportionate vulnerability of women and children. The report stated that 42 victims were trafficked for forced labour, 31 for sexual exploitation related to prostitution, 37 for domestic servitude and 18 for forced marriage. Additional cases linked to begging and organ removal were also recorded.
The NCRB report further noted that nearly 62 per cent of identified trafficking victims in Assam were minors.
Expressing concern over the situation, National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, during a visit to Dibrugarh on January 9, said large-scale trafficking activities in parts of Assam remain a major concern for the state.
Experts and policy studies have repeatedly identified poverty, migration, porous borders, displacement and low conviction rates as major factors contributing to trafficking risks in Assam.
Districts such as Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Tinsukia are considered particularly vulnerable. Many victims reportedly come from socially marginalised and economically disadvantaged communities, especially from tea garden and riverine areas, where traffickers often lure families with promises of employment and a better future.
Improved railway and transport connectivity has also altered trafficking patterns, with victims increasingly being moved through long-distance train routes to southern and western states. Rahatkar had earlier pointed out that trafficking frequently occurs through railway networks.
Recurring floods, riverbank erosion and displacement have further worsened economic distress in districts like Lakhimpur and Dhemaji. The loss of agricultural land and repeated natural disasters have pushed many families towards migration, increasing the vulnerability of children and youth to exploitation.
Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 143 and 144 criminalise trafficking, forced labour and sexual exploitation, with stricter penalties for offences involving children. The Ministry of Women and Child Development’s Ujjawala Scheme provides rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration support for survivors, while child victims are protected under the Juvenile Justice Act and Child Protection Services.
Observers believe that stronger awareness drives, tighter law enforcement vigilance and closer monitoring of railway routes are crucial to tackling the growing trafficking threat across rural Assam.