A 23-year-old man was arrested at Agartala railway station on Wednesday on charges of human trafficking and rape involving a minor girl. The incident came to light after activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal intercepted the pair and alerted police. The accused, identified as Ansar Ali of Indranagar in West Tripura district, was reportedly in a relationship with the girl for nearly three years. According to Sukantala Debbarma, Officer-in-Charge of the East Agartala Women’s Police Station, the girl had been reported missing earlier the same day.
Police said the duo was preparing to board a train bound for Bengaluru when they were detained by the activists. “We received information from VHP and Bajrang Dal members, after which a police team rushed to the railway station and took both into custody,” Debbarma told reporters. The minor has since been reunited with her parents. Her mother has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Ali, alleging that he misled her daughter, sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, and attempted to abduct her. The FIR also states that the mother was unaware of the accused’s religious identity during the period of association between the two.
Ali has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Authorities have confirmed that a detailed investigation is underway, including inquiries into possible trafficking networks.
