Minor girl rescued from iron box in Garib Rath

LUCKNOW: A 10-year-old girl was rescued from an iron box used for carrying railway bedding in Garib Rath Express at Etawah railway station on Saturday. Reports said the girl from Daltonganj in Jharkhand was being allegedly trafficked to Delhi, where her maternal aunt was supposed to receive her at the railway station. The GRP said a train attendant involved in the incident was detained and the girl would be produced before the child welfare committee for recording her statement.

THE GIRL FROM DALTONGANJ IN JHARKHAND WAS BEING ALLEGEDLY TRAFFICKED TO DELHI

LUCKNOW: A 10-year-old girl was rescued from an iron box used for carrying railway bedding in the Garib Rath Express at Etawah railway station on Saturday.

Reports said the girl from Daltonganj in Jharkhand was being allegedly trafficked to Delhi, where her maternal aunt was supposed to receive her at the railway station.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) said a train attendant involved in the incident was detained and the girl would be produced before the child welfare committee for recording her statement.

Yashpal Singh, inspector, Etawah, GRP said, “The detained attendant has told us that the girl’s mother had handed over the girl to him requesting to facilitate her travel to Delhi. The woman had said the girl’s maternal aunt would pick her at New Delhi railway station.”

According to eyewitness, passengers became aware of the girl’s presence after hearing her cries coming from the box.

Ambreesh, who was on board the same train, told HT that the passengers informed the travelling ticket examiner (TTE), who got the box opened and rescued her.

Uttar Pradesh home secretary Kamal Saksena said an FIR was lodged in connection with the case and further investigations to track the traffickers would be done by the department. “The girl has so far not said anything. We are waiting for her statement and further investigation is on. We will get in touch with the Jharkhand and Delhi police both to work out the case,” Saksena said. Social activists suspect that probe into the case could lead to a big trafficking gang operating in Delhi.

“There is also a possibility that some agent of the trafficker was also on board the train like a general passenger and keeping a track of the girl,” said Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini, an organisation working closely with the state government against human trafficking.