Child trafficking Case: Six arrested, including Hojai BJP leader in Assam

Digital Desk: On Wednesday, police arrested six people, including a young woman, from Morajhar in Assam's Hojai district on suspicion of child trafficking.

Officials identified those arrested as Bilal Uddin, Afzal Uddin, Nasir Hussain, Abdul Karim, Ajmal Hussain, and major suspect Parbina Begum. Abdul Karim is a regional Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader among them.

They were all brought before the district court in Sankardev Nagar, Hojai, and then put to jail. Meanwhile, the major accused, Parbina Begum, and her brother, Ajmal Hussain, were taken into police custody for two days for additional questioning, while the remaining four were taken into judicial detention.

It should be noted that the gang lured a minor girl under the Debasthan Police Station in Morajhar with the promise of a job before selling her to a prostitution ring in Delhi.

Fortunately, the victim was able to escape and reach Dehradun. With the help of the child's helpline number, the police handed her over to the One Step Centre.

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On July 4, the victim's family was able to take her to Hojai with the assistance of the (AAMSU)  All Assam Minority Students' Organisation.

She was taken to the Debasthan Police Station, where the police recorded her statement as well as the statements of family members, and a case was registered under multiple sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act numbered 162/23, and an investigation was launched.

Furthermore, the Hojai district AAMSU claimed that numerous minors are still being held captive by the gang and that they are interviewing them to find out where they are. The family of the rescued girl also claimed that they were threatened by the gang for reporting them to the police.

The government advocate spoke about the situation and stated, "Based on a person's complaint that her minor child had been trafficked to Delhi, a case was registered at the Morajhar Police Station number 162/23 under the supervision of the superintendent of police (SP) Hojai under sections 120 (B), 342, 370 sub-section 4, and 372 of the Indian Penal Code read with section 6 of the POCSO Act.

Six suspects were detained during the ensuing police operation, and the authorities also managed to bust a significant child trafficking organisation, he added.