New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday said it has rescued a minor girl who was kidnapped from Bardhaman, West Bengal, in August 2023, an official said.
She was recovered from Pali, Rajasthan, and five people, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with the case. The accused had allegedly sold the girl twice for marriage.
A senior CBI official said the arrested individuals have been identified as Bharat Kumar, Jagdish Kumar, Mena Dapuben, Rata Ram, and Dilip Kumar.
The case was registered by the CBI on February 16, 2024, following an order from the Calcutta High Court.
The girl went missing on August 9, 2023, after leaving for her tuition classes. She did not return home, and authorities suspected she had been kidnapped with criminal intent.
Initially, the local police investigated the case, which was later taken over by the West Bengal CID.
After the missing girl’s mother filed a petition, the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the CBI’s Special Crime Branch (SCB) in Kolkata.
Using information from sources and call detail record (CDR) analysis, the CBI traced leads suggesting the girl had been taken to Pali, Rajasthan. A CBI team visited Pali and, after verifying the information, rescued the girl from an accused person’s residence on August 8, 2024.
Investigations revealed that the girl was a minor when she went missing but was falsely declared an adult in affidavits used for her marriage. She had been sold twice for marriage, raising suspicions that this case may be linked to a larger human trafficking network.
All the accused were produced before the Judicial Magistrate at Marwar Junction in Pali district.
The CBI has obtained a three-day transit remand for further investigation.
