In a significant breakthrough against human trafficking, the Government Railway Police (GRP) at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station, with support from the Railway Protection Force (RPF), rescued 56 young women from the Capital Express on Monday evening. The women, all above 18 years old, were reportedly being trafficked under false promises of jobs in Bangalore.
Suspicious of the group’s unusual travel plans, GRP and RPF officials intercepted the women onboard the Capital Express, which was headed to Patna—a clear deviation from their supposed destination of Bangalore. During initial questioning, the women stated they were traveling to Bangalore for employment arranged by two individuals. However, both suspects, Jitendra Kumar Paswan and Chandrima Kar, failed to provide valid travel documents or job offer letters.
A senior GRP official said, “We became suspicious when a large group of women allegedly heading to Bangalore was found traveling to Bihar. This raised serious red flags.”
Following a complaint from the RPF, Paswan and Kar were arrested and charged under Section 143(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The GRP has requested a six-day police remand for further investigation into the trafficking racket.
Authorities have contacted the families of the rescued women and reunited them with their guardians. Officials suspect the incident is part of a larger trafficking network, and further arrests are expected.
