Siliguri: Following the rescue of 34 young women from Siliguri Junction Bus Stand, concerns have emerged over a suspected human trafficking network operating across North Bengal. The police believe that the traffickers are primarily targeting young women from remote tea garden areas in districts like Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Darjeeling.
According to sources, most of the rescued women are from remote village areas under Nagrakata, Meteli, Malbazar, Banarhat, Maynaguri, Kotwali, Alipurduar district and Naxalbari under Darjeeling district. Significantly, many among the 56 women rescued from New Jalpaiguri Station on July 22 were also from these regions, reinforcing suspicion of a well-coordinated trafficking operation disguised as a job placement service. Three individuals, identified as Gautam Roy, Petrus Beck and Jayshree Paul from Siliguri and Meteli, were produced at the Siliguri Court on Monday.
According to investigators, the group planned to take the women to Ranchi by bus, then onward to Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, allegedly to work in a garment factory.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bishwa Chand Thakur stated: “The manner in which the women were being transported is suspicious. The accused provided us with some documents which need to be verified. Further investigation is ongoing.” However, the accused claimed that they are innocent. Gautam Roy, one of the accused, said: “We have submitted documents to police. Nothing illegal was going on. As the women didn’t get jobs at the tea gardens due to the closure of most tea gardens, they were willingly going to Tamil Nadu for jobs.”
The rescued women have been safely returned to their families.