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Odisha

NIA chargesheets 10 for trafficking minor Bangladeshi girl into Odisha

Accused lured 17-year-old on promise of employment, pushed her into immoral trafficking; NIA probe exposed network across Odisha and West Bengal, further investigation underway

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheet-ed 10 people in connection with the trafficking of a minor Bangladeshi girl from across the east-ern border into Odisha.

In its charge sheet filed be-fore the Special Court in Bhu-baneswar, the agency has charged the accused of luring the girl on promise of employment and then pushing her into immoral trafficking to make money.

Officials said the accused had taken advantage of the poor fi nancial condition of the girl's family to execute the trafficking operation. However, the NIA in-vestigation exposed a major human trafficking network in the case.

The Odisha police had initial ly filed two charge sheets in the Pocso court against six accused in the case. After taking over the probe, the agency conducted searches in multiple locations in West Bengal and arrested two more persons. Examination of their social media accounts and financial transactions led the agency to arrest two more of their associates.

Accordingly, the agency filed a charge sheet against all the 10 accused under various sections of BNS 2023, the Pocso Act 2012 and the Immoral Traffic (Pre-vention) Act 1956. Further investigation into the case is in progress, officials said.

On November 9 last year, Cut-tack police had rescued the 17-year-old victim from Link Road in the city after she fled the rented accommodation of a couple.

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