Seventeen Odisha girls rescued in AP while being trafficked to Mumbai

Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh)/ Bhubaneswar:  At least 17 girls from Odisha were rescued from the Rajahmundry Railway Station in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) while being trafficked to Mumbai.

According to reports, a team of AP GRP (Government Railway Police) and CHILDLINE members carried out a search operation in Rajahmundry Railway Station after getting an anonymous call about the girls and rescued them. The 2 girls who were allegedly trafficking them were also detained by the police.

Later, the Andhra Pradesh CHILDLINE informed its Odisha counterparts about the rescued girls and a team of the AP Police brought them to Bhubaneswar.

During interrogation, the Bhubaneswar CHILDLINE officials came to know that the rescued girls are natives of Keonjhar and Gajapati districts.

“They were going to work in a prawn factory in Mumbai. Some police personnel who were in the same bogie of the train informed the Andhra Pradesh CHILDLINE members after suspecting that they were being trafficked. Later, the CHILDLINE officials rescued the girls with the help of the GRP officials and brought them here,” said Snehanjali Mohanty, member of Odisha State Commission for Women.

“I had gone to work there last year. This is the second time that I was going along with my friends. A 'didi' was taking us, however, police detained us in Andhra Pradesh,” said one of the recued girls.

It is learnt that the traffickers used to take Rs 10,000 as commission from each girl, said sources.

Meanwhile, efforts are on to send the rescued girls back home and their parents are being contacted, added sources.