In a significant human trafficking crackdown, the Jorhat Police successfully rescued 24 victims from exploitative conditions in Rupa, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. The victims, all from Assam’s tea garden communities, were brought to the region under false pretenses, believing they were being offered jobs in Tezpur.
The operation unfolded in two stages, on May 15 and 17, under the jurisdiction of Mariani Police Station in Titabar sub-division. The police apprehended two individuals—Lakshman Dutta (59), from Sonowal Seuji Gaon, and Pitka Majhi (31), from Dahingeapar Tea Estate—in connection with the trafficking ring.
The victims were reportedly lured with promises of employment and drugged during the journey. Once in Arunachal Pradesh, they were subjected to forced labor, working long hours from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. without pay and were kept under constant threat, with no access to phones or communication. One of the victims recalled, “We were given intoxicants that rendered us unconscious during the journey.”
The case came to light when Gauri Sahu, the wife of a missing worker, filed a complaint on April 27. Her timely report led to a swift investigation, enabling police to track the traffickers and rescue the victims.
Jorhat SP Shwetank Mishra confirmed that the victims were led to believe they were heading to Tezpur, but instead, they were transported to Arunachal Pradesh under false pretenses. A total of eight victims were rescued on May 15, and the remaining victims were freed shortly thereafter.
Anti-trafficking groups emphasize that networks like these are prevalent in Assam’s tea garden areas, where vulnerable individuals, particularly women, are lured with job offers only to fall prey to forced labor or sex trafficking. The police are continuing their investigation to identify additional victims and dismantle the trafficking network entirely.
