Ranchi, February 25 The Ranchi Railway Police rescued two girls who were allegedly being trafficked to Delhi under the pretense of employing them for domestic work, and arrested a woman, officials said on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old woman was intercepted on Monday during a check drive after the arrival of the Jharkhand Sampark Kranti Express at the Ranchi railway station.
The rescued girls, aged between 13 and 16 years, are from the Simdega district, they said.
The woman has been identified as Reshma Devi, a resident of Karari in Agar Nagar, Delhi, and several cases against her are pending at the Gumla police station in Jharkhand under sections related to kidnapping, rape, human trafficking, and the POCSO Act, a senior railway police officer said.
Ranchi Railway police station sub-inspector Sohan Lal said, "We rescued two girls and arrested the accused on Monday night during a check drive on the train. When asked about their destination, the girls failed to give a clear response and said they were travelling to Delhi with the woman. Upon questioning, the woman claimed she was taking them for domestic work."
During a detailed interrogation by a woman sub-inspector at the RPF post, the accused allegedly admitted that she was taking the girls to Delhi, promising them domestic jobs with a monthly salary of Rs 14,000 to Rs 15,000 each, while she would receive a commission of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per month per girl, he said.
She also admitted that she had previously taken several girls from Jharkhand to Delhi. It also came to light that a case against her had already been registered at the Gumla police station on December 5, 2023, under sections related to kidnapping, rape, human trafficking, and the POCSO Act.
The woman has been handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) at the Kotwali police station.
Both girls have been handed over to a safe shelter (Premashray).