Absconding child abduction accused held in mid-sea op

Kolkata: A year-long manhunt ended late on Friday night when Ranaghat Police arrested a man accused of the abduction and sexual assault of a minor girl in a mid-sea operation off the Kakdwip–Namkhana coast.

According to police, the accused, identified as Biswajit, a resident of Bongaon in North 24-Parganas, was the main accused of the abduction of a 16-year-old girl, who went missing from Harinaghata. The accused had been absconding since October 2024. The girl was traced in July this year to Kalyani and was found pregnant during medical examination, prompting police to add charges under the POCSO Act, along with abduction.

Police said Biswajit managed to evade capture for nearly a year by frequently changing locations. Over the past

month, however, he confined himself to the Kakdwip–Namkhana belt. His mobile tower locations and inputs from local sources finally allowed police to zero in on him.

On Friday, a tip-off indicated he was hiding on a fishing trawler anchored around 10 km into the sea. Fearing he might jump into the water to escape, Ranaghat Police mounted a covert operation. Two sub-inspectors and three constables disguised themselves as fishermen, sailed out, and boarded the vessel before arresting Biswajit without resistance.

A senior official of Ranaghat Police District said that the accused may have links to a larger women and child trafficking racket.

In its official statement, Ranaghat Police said: “The accused had slipped out of our grasp several times since 2024...”