Siliguri Minor Girl Rescued Within An Hour After Social Media 'Love Trap'; Mumbai Youth Arrested
The Mumbai man developed a relationship with the girl through video calls and persuaded her to leave home by promising marriage, reports Subhadeep Roy Nandi.
Published : July 7, 2026 at 4:04 PM IST
Siliguri: A 15-year-old girl from Siliguri was rescued within an hour of her family's complaint after she was allegedly lured away by a youth she had befriended on social media. The accused, a resident of Mumbai, was arrested by police in a swift inter-state operation, while investigators are probing whether the case has links to a larger human trafficking network, officials said on Monday.
According to police, the minor, a resident of the Bharatnagar area under Ward No. 24 of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, went missing on Sunday. After searching unsuccessfully for her, family members approached Siliguri Police Station and lodged a written complaint.
Recognising the seriousness of the case, Siliguri Police immediately formed a special investigation team under the supervision of Inspector-in-Charge (IC) Prabir Dutt.
During the investigation, police learned that the girl had allegedly left with a man identified as Jamin Khan, a resident of Mumbai. Investigators suspected the pair were travelling by train and began tracking the accused through technical surveillance and mobile phone analysis.
The digital trail indicated that the accused was travelling towards Azimganj in Murshidabad district. Siliguri Police promptly alerted the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Azimganj and shared photographs of the minor obtained from social media.
When the train reached Azimganj railway station, GRP personnel identified the girl, rescued her safely and arrested the accused.
Social media friendship under investigation
According to the preliminary investigation, the minor came into contact with the accused through social media around two months ago. Police said the two remained in regular contact through video calls, during which the accused allegedly developed a relationship with the girl and persuaded her to leave home by promising marriage.
Investigators believe the accused travelled from Mumbai to Siliguri before taking the girl on a train towards West Bengal's Murshidabad district. Police are examining whether there was any intention to take her to Mumbai or whether the incident is connected to a wider trafficking network.
Police said that after being rescued, the minor initially gave misleading information, allegedly out of fear of the accused. However, during subsequent questioning, she disclosed details about their online relationship and the circumstances under which she had left home.
The girl has since undergone a medical examination and has been temporarily placed in a government-run child care home in accordance with legal procedures.
The accused was produced before the appropriate court and was brought to Siliguri from Murshidabad on transit remand on Monday night for further investigation.
Police said they are continuing to examine the accused's background, digital communications and travel history to determine whether the incident was an isolated case or part of a larger organised network targeting minors through social media.
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