Three runaway teenage girls rescued from Sambalpur in Odisha

Reported by Malay Ray
Rourkela, Mar 26:

Odisha police rescued three runaway minor tribal girls of Rourkela, who had gone missing since Tuesday evening, from Sambalpur railway station last night.

They were handed over to their parents after their statements were recorded before a magistrate today.

“We rescued three minor tribal girls from Sambalpur railway Fatak station on Wednesday night. Their statements were recorded before the Magistrate today following which they were handed over to their parents,” said Rashmita Patel, IIC, Sector-19 police station of Rourkela.

The teenage girls had run away from home to escape constant abuse by their parents about their studies and their movements.

The parents of the three 14-year-old tribal girls of Mishra Khatal area of Sector-20 area of Rourkela had lodged a complaint with the sector-19 police station at around 10 pm of March 24, informing that the Class-VIII girls, who had gone for tuition on Tuesday evening, had not returned.

Sector-19 police had received the FIR and had started searching for the three girls. Their mobiles were found switched off initially.

On Wednesday, police came to know that three girls had stayed in a lodge at Sambalpur. Their location was also tracked to Fatak railway station of Sambalpur, following which a police team of Sector-19 police station led by IIC Rashmita Patel went there and rescued the three girls and brought them to Rourkela.

The girls had gone to Sambalpur by train. After reaching Fatak railway station, they went to the nearby Nanda lodge for an overnight stay. One of them had requested the receptionist of the hotel to give them a room since she was not able to trace her aunt’s house.

They were planning to go somewhere else the following night. But before they could leave, Rourkela Police after tracking their mobiles, reached at the station and rescued them.