Crime

Timely Intervention Saves Two Minor Sisters from Possible Exploitation While Being Trafficked to Uttar Pradesh for Orchestra

• By A Special Correspondent
• October 13, 2026
• 1516

NGOs Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) and BITAN, with the support of RPF, rescue the girls; woman trafficker detained

In a significant anti-trafficking intervention, two minor sisters from West Bengal were rescued from the custody of an alleged woman trafficker by NGOs Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) and Bitan Institute for Training Awareness And Networking (BITAN), with the support of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). The accused was taking the girls, aged 15 and 17, on the Purvanchal Express to Siwan in Bihar, from where they were to be transported to Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. AVA and BITAN  are partner organizations of Just Rights for Children (JRC), India's largest network of over 250 NGOs working for the protection of child rights and the prevention of child trafficking and exploitation.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the 15-year-old girl had been lured with promises of lucrative earnings through work in an orchestra, while her elder sister was assured employment as a domestic worker. The accused, identified as Priyanka Mallick, has been detained and further investigation is being carried out by the Government Railway Police (GRP).

The rescued girls belong to a financially vulnerable family. The elder sister is a Class XI student, while the younger girl had dropped out of school after Class VIII. Their mother works as a domestic worker in Kolkata, while their father is a farmer in Sandeshkhali and is currently away in Andhra Pradesh for work.

The accused woman was reportedly a neighbour of the family and exploited their economic hardship by convincing the mother that she would arrange jobs for the girls in Uttar Pradesh. However, she allegedly concealed the actual nature of the work and destination from the family.

The rescue operation was triggered when field workers of AVA and BITAN noticed the girls travelling under suspicious circumstances at the Kolkata Terminal railway station. During questioning, the accused failed to provide satisfactory answers regarding the relationship with the minor girls and their journey. She later disclosed that she was taking them to work in an orchestra known as "Bunty Babli Recording Program" in Tarya Sujan, Kushinagar district, allegedly operated by a man identified as Bunty Yadav.

Expressing satisfaction over the rescue of the girls and the action initiated against the accused, Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children (JRC), said, "West Bengal has long remained a target for trafficking networks that prey upon poor and vulnerable families. Young girls are often lured with false promises of employment and financial security, only to be pushed into situations of exploitation, abuse and, in many cases, commercial sexual exploitation under the guise of orchestra work. This is a grave child rights violation that demands urgent and coordinated action. The growing vigilance of authorities, combined with the efforts of civil society organizations and awareness initiatives, is helping to strengthen prevention mechanisms. The role played by the Railway Protection Force in preventing such trafficking cases is particularly commendable."

The case highlights the continuing threat of child trafficking through fraudulent employment offers and underscores the importance of community vigilance, inter-agency coordination, and robust child protection mechanisms to safeguard vulnerable children from exploitation.