Human trafficking racket busted in Assam, 26 girls rescued

Guwahati: Railway authorities in Assam have foiled a human trafficking attempt at Tinsukia railway station, rescuing 26 minor girls and young women who were allegedly being trafficked to Tamil Nadu using forged documents, officials said on Friday.

The joint operation was carried out by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRPF) during a routine inspection. Five suspects, including both men and women, were detained at the scene.

During initial questioning, one of the accused, Bidyut Dutta, claimed that the victims were being taken to work in a textile factory in Tamil Nadu. Authorities, however, are investigating the claim and the wider network behind the trafficking attempt.

Human trafficking remains a serious issue in Upper Assam, particularly in tea garden regions where vulnerable families are often targeted with false promises of jobs and financial assistance. Victims, mostly children and young women, are trafficked to other states for exploitative labor or worse.

The Assam government recently introduced a comprehensive state policy to tackle human trafficking and witch-hunting. The policy identifies trafficking as a growing organized crime and witch-hunting as a deeply rooted social evil, both disproportionately affecting women and girls. The state had earlier enacted the Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2018, which classifies the offence as cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.

Assam’s location, sharing borders with six northeastern states as well as Bangladesh and Bhutan, adds to the complexity of the trafficking crisis.

The new policy calls for a coordinated approach focusing on prevention, survivor protection, rehabilitation and strict legal action against offenders. The Department of Women and Child Development has been designated as the nodal agency for implementation, with committees set up at state, district and village levels to ensure action at the grassroots.