Four Rescued in West Bengal
On October 7, 2026, our team journeyed to West Bengal to verify a lead about a minor being exploited at a private residence. When the team arrived, they learned that the girl would leave on the morning of October 8th and return on Oct 23.
On October 14, the team visited the Ranaghat Police District Office to share intel on the victim and to request police intervention from the Superintendent of Police (SP) to rescue the victim. The SP and the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) were occupied with other official work and unavailable to meet. Our team was directed to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who received and forwarded our team’s letter to the SP. The DSP told our team that the police would remain occupied with official duties throughout the week and asked to meet on or after October 23.
Not wanting to waste any time and lose track of the victim, our team sought other options. They emailed the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights, WBCPCR, in Ultadanga, requesting them to write to the Ranaghat SP about the urgency of the case and the importance of initiating a rescue operation at the earliest, given the victim’s vulnerable situation.
Later that day, we received a call from the Deputy Superintendent of Police, District Enforcement Branch (DySP, DEB), who said the SP had referred the case to him. He agreed to initiate a rescue within ten days and asked our team to meet him the next day to plan the operation.
On October 15, our team met the DySP, DEB, at the Ranaghat Police District Office, and discussed the case with him. Since there was no trace of the minor in town, we decided to wait and watch for new information about the victim. All our team knew at this point was that the minor girl should return on October 23. Meanwhile, our team worked on different rescue strategies.
The brothel was a house in a residential area near a university. The neighborhood was usually busy with college students. The house had a main floor and a rooftop. The main floor included three bedrooms, a dining room, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a balcony area that was transformed into a living space. There was a garden in front of the house. From the outside, the building appeared like a normal residence.
From October 22, our undercover investigators contacted the pimp to ensure that the minor would be available on the 23rd. The pimp confirmed on October 23 that the minor was present at the private residence/brothel.
At 2:30 p.m. on October 23, our team arrived at Hanskhali Police Station and shared the latest information about the minor with the Officer in Charge (OC) and requested that the raid take place immediately. He agreed.
On October 23, at approximately 4:12 p.m., the police raided the house and found four victims. The police officers had to wait for the DySP (Border) to arrive before conducting a search of the premises and other post rescue procedures. The social workers counseled the visibly agitated victims.
After the DySP arrived, the police carried out a thorough search and collected evidence, then arrested seven individuals, and rescued the four victims.
Our team and the police escorted the victims and the accused to the police station. Through identity verification and thorough inquiry, our team learned that one of the victims, Mayuri, was 15 years old. Asaana and Deena were 17 years old, and a forced major, Bashi, was 19 years old. Our team accompanied the four survivors to a hospital for their medical tests.
After the medical tests, police completed filing the First Information Report at 3 a.m. on October 24, but our team noticed that the time recorded in the FIR was 11:30 p.m.
The police escorted the survivors to different shelter homes. 19-year-old Bashi was placed in a One Stop Centre at 6:22 a.m., and Mayuri, Asaana, and Deena were placed in a children's shelter home at 6:47 a.m., where they all remain safe and are beginning their healing journey.
Comments