This story is from January 15, 2020

Bihar schoolgirl found in Siliguri month after kidnap

A 13-year-old girl from Katihar, who was kidnapped while returning home from school more than a month ago, was rescued from Siliguri in West Bengal on Monday by her parents with the help of Bihar Police.
Bihar schoolgirl found in Siliguri month after kidnap
Representative image
PATNA: A 13-year-old girl from Katihar, who was kidnapped while returning home from school more than a month ago, was rescued from Siliguri in West Bengal on Monday by her parents with the help of Bihar Police.
“The girl was kidnapped by Lakhman Paswan and his associates in the last week of November while she was returning from her school,” Katihar’s Sahayak police station SHO Rajesh Kumar said, adding, “Paswan took her to Siliguri where he works at a tea manufacturing company and raped her.”
In her police complaint, the girl alleged that she was raped by Paswan, a father of three, in his rented accommodation soon after they landed at Siliguri.
When she complained to his wife Munni Devi, she allegedly threatened her and told her to follow her husband’s diktat.
According to the complaint, the minor overheard a conversation between Paswan and his wife about selling the minor to pimp in a red light area. Frightened, she narrated her tale to a sympathetic neighbour.
“The neighbour took pity on her and somehow contacted her parents in Katihar over phone and disclosed about the place where she was held captive,” said an investigating officer, quoting the victim.
Paswan (40) and his wife Muni Devi (35) have been booked under Section 366A of IPC and POCSO Act 2012. “Other sections will be added after receipt of the victim’s medical report,” the SHO added.
Katihar SP Vikas Kumar said, “The girl comes from a poor family and her neighbour took advantage of the family’s economic condition. The couple’s links with those involved in
human trafficking in Siliguri are being verified. Our first priority was to get the victim released safe and sound.”
Since the police were made aware that Paswan was trying to sell her off, the Katihar police exerted pressure on his relatives in Katihar. “Going to Siliguri would have taken time so we exerted pressure on Lakshman’s relatives in Katihar to hand over the girl to her parents. And the girl was let off near the ‘hawai adda’ under the Katihar Sahayak police station on Monday evening from where she was brought to the police station,” said a police officer.
“We will now send a police team to Siliguri to trace the place where the girl was kept in illegal confinement and subjected to sexual abuse. A woman police officer has been entrusted with the task of counselling the victim on a regular basis,” the SP said.
The minor was produced at the Katihar civil court on Tuesday and sent to the local sadar hospital for medical examination. The medical report is awaited.
Though the Sahayak SHO denied that any missing complaint was lodged, the girl’s father claimed that he had filed a complaint petition to the local police but nobody cared. “Thane wale bole ki pata lagao (cops asked me to search her myself),” the girl’s father said.
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