BARIPADA: Police on Tuesday rescued 12 girls held captive in a house at Bijayramchandrapur under Bhanjpur police limits in Mayurbhanj district.
The girls, most of whom are below 18 years of age, are natives of Ganjam, Gajapati and Berhampur. They were reportedly held captive in the house for the last two months.
Incidentally, the house is owned by a constable in Bhanjpur police station who had rented it out to the owner of an online trading company. Police have detained a person in connection with the case and are interrogating him.
Sources said police came to know about the plight of the girls after one Babula Pradhan of Ganjam reached Bijayramchandrapur in search of his relative held captive in the house.
Babula said his relative had called him on his mobile phone a few days back requesting him to rescue her from the house. She along with 11 other girls were held captive in the house by some middlemen who had promised them jobs in an online trading company. Some people were also guarding the house around the clock.
He informed me that each of the girls paid Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 to get jobs in an online trading company. Their salary was supposed to be between Rs 14,000 and Rs 15,000 as per eligibility. After receiving the money, the company owner took the girls to Cuttack five months back.
However, the girls could not get the jobs they were promised and were brought to Mayurbhanj and accommodated in a rented house in Bijayramchandrapur two months back. Babula alleged that the girls were being mentally harassed by their captors
On being informed by Babula, Bhanjpur police rushed to Bijayramchandrapur and rescued girls. Baripada SDPO Sujit Pradhan said the rescued girls were hired by an online trading company to sell products. Police have asked the parents of the girls to come to Baripada. After proper counselling, the girls would be sent to their respective homes. Pradhan said police are yet to receive any complaint from the girls.
Meanwhile, School and Mass Education Minister and BJD’s Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha candidate Sudam Marandi reached Bijayramchandrapur. He said he has asked IG, Eastern Range Deepak Kumar and Mayurbhanj collector Dattatray Bhausaheb Shinde to conduct a high-level inquiry into the matter and take stern action against the accused.