A recent rescue highlights the many layers of deception often involved in trafficking situations.
A Justice Hub received a tip about a minor girl named Chahat* who was acting suspiciously and accompanied by a man named Manish* at a railway station. Upon intercepting Chahat and Manish, the Justice Hub team separated them for questioning to gather more details. Chahat claimed that Manish was her brother taking her to Hyderabad for work. However, Manish provided a different account, stating he had met Chahat on the train when he noticed her crying. He then offered to find her a job in another state at a thread factory that employed people from Bihar. Manish admitted that the factory did not hire anyone under 18, so he had created a fake Aadhaar (identification) card for Chahat, changing her age from 14 to 18. The team confirmed that her Aadhaar card was indeed fake and that her real card indicated she was only 14. This discovery raised further suspicion, prompting the team to take both individuals to the Railway Police for additional investigation.
At the police station, Chahat revealed more about her circumstances. She had run away from home, and on her way back she met Manish on the train. He persuaded her to go with him to Hyderabad for a job, and after altering her Aadhaar card he kept her at a woman’s house before planning their trip. When questioned, the woman claimed she didn’t know Chahat and had only taken her in at Manish’s request. Recognizing that this could be a trafficking situation, the team placed Chahat in a shelter home while the Railway Police conducted further investigations to ensure Chahat’s safety and protection.
*Name changed to protect identity
