Human trafficking racket busted in Baramulla; four minor girls rescued

Srinagar, July 12: Jammu and Kashmir Police have rescued four minor girls after a human trafficking racket was busted in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said today.

A police official said that two persons, identified as Shakeel Ahmad Bhat and Mehraj-ud-Din Tantray, both residents of Baramulla, were arrested.

Acting on a tip-off from a reliable source, he said, the racket was busted in Ushkura area of the district.

The official said that the investigation revealed that Shakeel Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Ushkura, was involved in the trafficking and exploitation of minor girls from outside the UT.

“A case FIR No. 173/2024 under relevant sections of law was registered , and a police team raided the accused’s residential house, recovering three minor victim girls who are from Rohingya Burma. The search was conducted in the presence of magistrate and lady police officials,” he said.

“During interrogation, Shakeel confessed to selling one girl to Mehraj Ahmad Tantray, a resident of Kanli Bagh. A subsequent raid at Tantray’s house led to the recovery of another victim, a minor girl from Burma Rohingya and Tantray’s arrest,” said the official, adding that further investigation is underway.