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Four minor girls go missing in Moradabad, rescued in Bihar
The girls were rescued on Wednesday from the Jansewa Express at Bachrawa railway station. They told the police that they had boarded the train after they were snubbed by their parents.
Sixteen hours after four minor girls went missing from their homes in village Bisauli in Moradabad, the police teams traced their location to Bachrawa in Bihar, 958 kilometres away, with the help of technology and a bit of luck.
The girls were rescued on Wednesday from the Jansewa Express at Bachrawa railway station. They told the police that they had boarded the train after they were snubbed by their parents.
The girls’ houses were located near the railway tracks and trains often took a halt there before approaching Moradabad railway station. Thus they had easily slipped into a sleeper bogie of the train and travelled to such a long distance within a few hours.
It was concerted efforts of the police team along with the GRP and RPF of both the states that the girls were finally rescued.
Reportedly, the search operation started after 9pm on Tuesday when family members of the girls filed a missing complaint at Bhagwatpur police station of Moradabad. “Police was informed that two sisters Shanvi, 9, and Zikra, 8, along with Mehreen,13, and Tabassum,15, were missing. Local police teams began the search in the nearby area,” said senior superintendent of police of Moradabad J Ravindra Gaud.
“All the missing girls were from the same community that led to tension in the area,” said a senior police official who was sent to Bisauli with additional force to ensure law and order.
Officials intimated nearby police stations about the girls. Their pictures were also circulated on police whatsapp groups, and teams were sent to check on all the people linked to the girls.
Police also approached the local Government Railway Police from where they got their first clue.
“A constable at Moradabad railway station had seen the girls on the Jansewa Express that passed through the station at 6.45pm,” said Gaud.
By this time the train had already crossed Gonda and was nearing the UP-Bihar border.
“We decided to track the movement of the train and decided to approach the concerned GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) for assistance,” said station officer of Bhagwatpur Police station Prince Sharma.
The team first contacted the GRP Gorkahpur station on Wednesday morning and found that the train had already left the station. By this time the train had entered Bihar. This posed another challenge caused by change in jurisdiction. However, the investigators continued their pursuit.
Senior officials also pitched in and the team informed the GRP and RPF officials in Bihar about the girls. After setbacks at a couple of stations, the officials finally spotted the girls together in one of the sleeper bogies at Bachrawa railway station.
“The news was a big relief, more so because all of them were rescued safely,” said the SSP.
