Three minor girls from Dhalai district of Tripura, rescued from Gujarat after allegedly being lured with promises of jobs, initially refused to return home and said they wanted to work there, police said. Investigators are now probing whether economic vulnerability, school dropout and false employment promises exposed them to a possible human trafficking network.
Agartala: The rescue of three minor girls from Gujarat has opened up a wider investigation into the circumstances that led them to leave home and, more importantly, why they initially refused to return even after police traced them.
Investigators say the girls, aged 15, 16 and 16, told police they wanted to remain in Gujarat and work there despite being reunited with law enforcement.
The development has prompted Tripura Police to examine whether they had fallen victim to false employment promises or whether a larger human trafficking network operated behind the incident.
Police have also found that none of the three girls was attending school, a factor investigators believe may have increased their vulnerability to job-related inducements.
Girls left home after alleged job offer
Police said, according to the preliminary investigation, the girls, all residents of Niamjoy Para under Ganganagar Police Station in Dhalai district, left their homes on Monday morning with a local youth identified as Mukesh Reang.
Police suspect the accused convinced the girls to travel outside the state by promising employment opportunities in Gujarat.
When the girls failed to return, their families approached Ganganagar Police Station and lodged a complaint. Since all three were minors, police immediately registered a kidnapping case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an interstate search.
Senior officers from Dhalai district, Tripura Police Headquarters and the state’s northern range quickly joined the investigation.
Mobile tracking revealed interstate journey
Investigators tracked the group’s movements using Live Location-Based Services (LBS) and mobile phone analysis.
The investigation revealed that the girls and the accused travelled from Agartala to Kolkata by air before boarding another flight to Ahmedabad.
As soon as investigators confirmed their location, Tripura Police alerted Gujarat Police and shared photographs of the victims, boarding pass details and live mobile location updates.
Although the group had already left Ahmedabad airport before police established contact, fresh location inputs helped Gujarat Police narrow the search.
Officials said Adalaj Police Station officers located and detained the accused along with the three girls within about 30 minutes of receiving updated location data.
Girls wanted to work in Gujarat
What surprised investigators most was the response they received from the rescued girls.
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Instead of expressing relief at being found, the girls reportedly told police that they wanted to continue working in Gujarat and did not wish to return to Tripura immediately.
Police also facilitated video calls between the girls and their parents after they reached Ahmedabad. Even during those conversations, the girls reportedly maintained that they wanted to stay and work.
Investigators believe this aspect of the case deserves careful examination.
Police officials pointed out that traffickers and illegal recruiters often persuade teenagers from economically weaker backgrounds that attractive jobs await them in distant cities. Such promises can influence minors to leave home voluntarily and resist returning even after police rescue them.
For this reason, investigators have decided not to treat the girls’ reluctance to return as proof that no crime occurred. Instead, they plan to examine whether anyone manipulated or influenced them before they left Tripura.
School dropout emerges as another concern
Police have also learned during the preliminary inquiry that none of the three rescued girls was attending school.
Officials believe the girls belonged to financially weak families, making them more vulnerable to offers of employment outside the state.
Investigators will now examine whether economic hardship, limited educational opportunities and the promise of immediate income influenced their decision to leave.
Child welfare officials have repeatedly highlighted that adolescents who remain outside the education system often face a greater risk of exploitation through fake recruitment drives and trafficking networks.
The findings from the investigation may therefore help authorities understand broader social issues beyond the immediate criminal case.
Tripura team reaches Gujarat
Meanwhile, a police team led by Sub-Inspector Swapan Debbarma, the Investigating Officer of Ganganagar Police Station, has already reached Gujarat.
The team includes women police personnel and other officials responsible for completing legal formalities.
Police will produce the accused before a local court to obtain transit remand before bringing both the accused and the rescued girls back to Tripura.
Investigators will record detailed statements after their return. Those statements are expected to clarify whether the girls knowingly accepted employment offers or whether someone deceived them during the recruitment process.
Probe widens beyond kidnapping
Although police initially registered the case as kidnapping because the victims are minors, investigators have not ruled out additional charges.
Officials said the investigation will determine whether Mukesh Reang acted independently or worked on behalf of a larger network engaged in transporting vulnerable teenagers outside the state.
Police also plan to examine digital evidence, travel records and communication between the accused and other individuals.
Investigators have not reported the involvement of any additional victims so far. However, they intend to verify whether similar incidents have occurred in the region.
Interstate coordination ensured swift rescue
Dhalai Additional Superintendent of Police Uttam Banik credited the successful rescue to close coordination between Tripura Police and Gujarat Police.
He said officers at Tripura Police Headquarters maintained constant communication with their counterparts in Gujarat throughout the operation.
Tripura Police also acknowledged the prompt assistance provided by officers at Ahmedabad Airport Police Station and Adalaj Police Station, whose quick response helped locate the girls within hours of their arrival in Gujarat.
Why this case matters: Enewstime Desk’s Perspective
The case has highlighted two factors that often increase the vulnerability of adolescents to fraudulent job offers—economic hardship and school dropout. Investigators will examine whether the girls travelled for genuine employment or whether traffickers lured them into an organised human trafficking network.
