Kidnapped minor girls rescued from Bengaluru-bound train at Malda Town Stn

Malda: In a significant success for law enforcement authorities, two minor girls who were allegedly kidnapped from Kalimpong district were rescued from a Bengaluru-bound train at Malda Town Railway Station on Friday evening. In a separate operation, a Bangladeshi national involved in cross-border cattle smuggling was arrested near the India-Bangladesh border.

Acting on an urgent tip-off shared by the officer in-charge of Jaldhaka Police Station and the SDPO of Gorubathan, a swift operation was launched by the Malda Town Government Railway Police (GRPS) on the night of August 2. The operation focused on DN Train No. 22502 SMVT Bengaluru SF Express, which arrived at Malda Town station at around 6:35 pm. “Acting swiftly and meticulously, our GRPS team conducted a thorough search of the train coaches and successfully rescued two minor girls along with their associate. The accused kidnapper was also detained,” said a senior GRPS officer.

According to police sources, the girls were kidnapped from Kalimpong district and were being trafficked to Bengaluru. The case is currently being investigated under Jaldhaka PS Case No. 11/25 dated August 1, 2025, under Sections 137(2) and 140(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. A police team from Kalimpong is en route to Malda to take custody of the victims and the accused. “The prompt coordination between districts and departments helped us prevent what could have been a much more serious trafficking case,” the official added.

In a separate incident on the same night, a police team from the Kumbhira Outpost under Baishnabnagar PS apprehended a Bangladeshi national, Md. Kashim Ali (25), near the Shivpur area while he was attempting to smuggle cattle across the border. Two buffaloes and a mobile phone containing both Indian and Bangladeshi SIM cards were recovered from his possession.

During interrogation, it was revealed that two local Indian nationals—Bharat Mandal (50) and Sudarshan Mandal (58)—had provided shelter and logistical support to the accused. All three have been arrested in connection with Baishnabnagar PS Case No. 982/25 dated August 2, 2025, under various sections of the BNS, Immigration and Foreigners Act, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The arrested individuals were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Malda, with a prayer for seven days of police custody.