Minor Girl Rescued from Confinement in Guwahati
Rescue Operation in Panjabari
Guwahati, Feb 3: Authorities successfully rescued a young girl who was found confined in a house located in the Juripar area of Panjabari on Tuesday morning. The girl was discovered hidden within the storage compartment of a bed box.
The operation was executed by the Dispur Police in collaboration with child welfare officials, prompted by multiple complaints from local residents.
Neighbors had reported that the girl was allegedly being subjected to physical abuse and was being held against her will at the home of an engineer named Arina Laskar Khatoon.
Upon arrival, the rescue team encountered resistance. Khatoon denied the accusations, asserting that the girl was no longer in her care and had been returned to her father some time ago.
Despite her claims, the authorities proceeded with a search of the property.
Initial inspections of the house did not reveal any signs of the girl. However, suspicion grew when officials noticed the accused's son lying on top of a large bed box.
The boy allegedly refused to move, while Khatoon insisted that there was no need to check the furniture.
Undeterred, the officials continued their search, and upon clearing the bed, they lifted the mattress and opened the storage compartment, where they found the minor girl hidden inside.
Authorities reported that the child was cramped in the small, airless space and appeared to be in a state of trauma. A member of the rescue team provided her with water and comforted her.
Once she calmed down, the girl revealed that she had been working in the household since she was six years old.
Now approximately ten years old, she informed investigators that she had endured years of domestic labor and had faced physical abuse, confirming the neighbors' concerns.
Following her rescue, the Dispur Police filed a case and initiated a thorough investigation. The case is registered under Section 138 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The girl has been relocated to a government facility, where she is receiving medical care and psychological support.
Police are continuing to interrogate Arina Laskar Khatoon to uncover the full extent of the alleged abuse and exploitation.