Bachpan Bachao Andolan, with SSB, rescues kidnapped minor girl near Nepal border

New Delhi (23/06/2023): Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi, rescued a kidnapped minor girl who was being taken forcibly for a child marriage from Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, to the Nepal border near Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB) outpost in Bairgania, Sitamarhi district of Bihar.

The SSB stationed at the Nepal border found two men and a girl in a vehicle and found them fishy. When questioned, the man said that the girl was his sister-in-law and he was going to marry her. Meanwhile, when the girl was questioned, she said that her brother-in-law was forcibly trying to marry her. She also said that he sexually assaulted her in Jammu. After the investigation, the SSB’s 20th battalion detained the two suspects and handed them over to the Bairgania police station.

The investigation revealed that the girl’s family had already filed a case of kidnapping at the Maurawan police station in Unnao on June 19.

The accused had forcibly married the girl’s elder sister two months ago, but he now wanted to marry her younger sister. With this intention, he abducted the minor girl along with another accomplice and was taking her to Nepal. The SSB’s 20th battalion intercepted them at the checkpoint, questioned them with the assistance of the officials of Anti Human Trafficking Unit and BBA. After questioning and speaking with the girl’s family over the phone, both suspects were taken into custody.

The minor girl stated that her brother-in-law called her under the pretext of buying clothes and then forcibly abducted her and took her in a car. According to the FIR, the girl’s elder sister stated that the accused tried to woo the younger sister by showing off his wealth. She had lodged a complaint against him at the Maurawan police station on May 9 regarding this matter.

Manish Sharma, Director, BBA, praised the dedication shown in saving the minor girl and commended the SSB’s 20th battalion, saying, “Such coordinated efforts by the police, administration, and armed forces in preventing crimes like abducting minors and forcing them into marriages will definitely help curb such incidents. There is a need to strictly enforce laws against child marriages.”