Childline workers in Tripura thwarted an attempted abduction of a 14-year-old child bride. The incident occurred when the young girl, who had been married off to escape harassment, was being transported in a Childline vehicle for a medical examination.
The victim, hailing from Bagma area under the Gomati district in Tripura, had faced persistent harassment from a local man named Sohel Hossain. To protect her, her mother arranged a marriage with a young man from Boxanagar.
On Thursday, Childline workers received information about the child marriage. They promptly visited girl’s husband’s house at Boxanagar and requested that she be brought to the Childline office in Bishalgarh under the Sepahijala district.
Accompanied by family members, the girl arrived at the office on Friday afternoon.
The Childline team decided to transfer her to a government home. However, trouble started While they were transporting her to Bishalgarh sub division Hospital for a mandatory medical test. Sohel Hossain appeared at the spot and made several attempts to abduct her from Childline’s vehicle.
The Childline workers foiled Sohel attempts. Meantime, the girl’s husband, Swapan Mia, confronted Sohel and physically restrained him, preventing the abduction.
Childline workers filed a complaint at Bishalgarh Mahila Thana, prompting the police to rush to the scene. With their assistance, the minor girl was safely transferred to a government home. Meanwhile, Sohel Hossain and an accomplice were arrested.
Even as the accused kidnappers are out in conditional bail, local people and relatives of the girl raised demand for punitive actions against Sohel and his accomplice.
(Tripura, Tripura News)