Assam: Child trafficker arrested from Tinsukia railway station; three minors rescued

Dibrugarh: Dibrugarh Police apprehended child trafficker Vijay Patnaik (46) during a coordinated operation at Tinsukia railway station on Thursday evening.

The operation led to the rescue of three minors, two girls and a boy, who were moments from being transported out of Assam.

A suo moto case was registered at Lahowal Police Station. Patnaik has been charged under Sections 137-2 (kidnapping) and 143-5 (trafficking of persons) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and has been remanded to judicial custody.

The joint operation was carried out by police teams from the Chabua and Lahowal police stations.

Acting on specific intelligence regarding the suspect’s movements, the teams intercepted Patnaik, a resident of Kadamoni, Chabua, as he was preparing to board a train with the victims.

"We have arrested the accused from Tinsukia Railway Station and rescued three minors from his custody. He was planning to transport them outside Assam. They are now safe, and we have started an investigation," said a police official.

He added, "Upon receiving information from our source that Patnaik was carrying three minors to sell outside the state, we launched a joint operation and successfully apprehended him at Tinsukia Railway Station."

Preliminary investigations suggest Patnaik is a key figure in a trafficking ring, allegedly responsible for transporting numerous women and minors from Assam to other states for financial gain.

The police have been pursuing him for some time.