KOLKATA: A 16-year-old girl was rescued from Kolkata’s red-light district of Sonagachi within an hour of police receiving a distress call alleging that she had been “sold” after running away from home with her alleged lover, an officer said on Saturday.The girl, a resident of North 24 Parganas district, was rescued from a room in Sonagachi following a call to the police helpline and an email sent to the child helpline. Police arrested two men — Shafiqul Molla (20) and Saharul Laskar (39) — in connection with the case, according to news agency PTI.“After receiving the information, a team of the Barabazar police station immediately began a search in the Sonagachi area. The girl was rescued within an hour,” a senior police officer said.According to police, the teenager told investigators that she had left her home with Shafiqul Molla, with whom she was in a relationship, and travelled to Kolkata. She alleged that Molla later sold her to Saharul Laskar in Sonagachi.Police said they contacted the person who made the distress call and subsequently verified the identity of the rescued girl.“Saharul Laskar is a resident of Durga Charan Mitra Street, while Shafiqul Molla is from Garulia in Shyamnagar in North 24 Parganas. Both the accused have been questioned. We are also examining whether any other persons were involved,” the officer said.A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, police said.
