Representative photo.
A 16-year-old minor girl was rescued from Kolkata’s Sonagachi red-light area within an hour of a distress call, after police received information that she had allegedly been trafficked and forced into commercial sexual exploitation.
According to police, a 100 Dial call followed by an email from the Child Helpline was received at around 3:50 pm on August 7, reporting that the minor had allegedly been sold by her boyfriend, identified as Babul, to a man named Shahrukh.
Minor traced through intensive search in Sonagachi
Following the alert, a team from Burtolla Police Station immediately launched an operation. Police said manual surveillance and an extensive door-to-door search were conducted in the densely populated Sonagachi area.
The girl was traced within an hour and rescued from a room at 19 Durga Charan Mitra Street under Burtolla police station. Her identity was subsequently cross-verified with the person who had made the initial Child Helpline call.
Girl brought from North 24 Parganas
During her preliminary examination by a woman police officer, the girl allegedly told investigators that Babul had brought her from North 24 Parganas and put her to work to earn money despite knowing that she was a minor.
Police said the girl was allegedly kept under the control of Shahrukh in Sonagachi, raising allegations of child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
Two accused arrested after investigation
During the investigation, police deployed sources and conducted searches to identify those allegedly involved. Two suspects named in the FIR were subsequently arrested.
The accused were identified as Sharukh alias Saharul Laskar, 39, a resident of Durga Charan Mitra Street, and Babul alias Safikul Molla, 20, a resident of Lenin Nagar, Garulia, under Noapara police station in North 24 Parganas.
Police said both accused were interrogated and allegedly disclosed their involvement in the case.
POCSO and trafficking provisions invoked
The accused are scheduled to be produced before the ACMM court in Calcutta, with police seeking custody for further investigation.
The case has been registered as Burtolla Police Station Case No. 158 dated August 7, 2026, invoking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the POCSO Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.
The investigation is underway to determine the full circumstances surrounding the minor’s alleged trafficking, identify any other people involved and establish whether a wider network was operating in connection with the exploitation.
