Four minor girls, aged between 14 and 17 years, were among six girls rescued at the Indo-Nepal Panitanki border yesterday in a trafficking attempt to take them to Nepal to work at a dance bar. 

The intervention was carried out by the SSB BIT Panitanki in coordination with Kosi Lok Manch, a partner organisation of Just Rights for Children (JRC), India’s largest NGO network working for child protection, during routine checking at the border. 

The six girls, including four minors and two adults, were travelling with two men, who could not establish legitimate authority for accompanying them across the international border.

Sensing the vulnerability of the girls and the possibility of trafficking, SSB personnel, along with Kosi Lok Manch, intervened and prevented them from proceeding further towards Nepal, thereby facilitating their rescue. During counselling, the girls disclosed that all six were from Tripura and had been brought together on the pretext of travelling to Nepal for dance performances. 

They said they had been promised payment for their performances. The girls, however, had no clear information about the exact destination, the establishment where they were expected to work, or the duration of their stay in Nepal, raising concerns about possible trafficking and exploitation.

The case also raised concerns over the whereabouts of two of the girls. According to the information received, one minor and one adult among those rescued had been reported missing by their families in Tripura. 

Following counselling, verification and preliminary inquiry, the SSB handed over the six girls and the two men to Kosi Lok Manch for further legal intervention. Kosi Lok Manch subsequently approached Kharibari Police Station and reported the matter for necessary legal action and investigation.

“Recent interventions along the Indo-Nepal border have revealed a worrying pattern in which young girls are being trafficked under the guise of employment or dance performances. The lack of clear information about their destination and proposed work makes such cases particularly concerning. Timely intervention by the SSB is critical in such situations to ensure that vulnerable girls do not fall into the hands of trafficking networks,” said Rishi Kant, National Secretary, Just Rights for Children.