Dibrugarh Police on Thursday evening apprehended a notorious trafficker from the Tinsukia railway station and rescued three minors in the process. The accused, identified as 46-year-old Vijay Patnaik of Kadamoni, Chabua, was caught while attempting to transport two minor girls and a minor boy to another state.
The arrest was the result of a meticulously planned joint operation conducted by teams from the Chabua and Lahowal police stations. Acting on a specific tip-off, the police intercepted Patnaik at the railway station just as he was preparing to transport two minor girls and a minor boy to be sold in another state.
Dibrugarh SSP Abhijit Gurav confirmed the details stating, “This was a critical operation. Based on credible intelligence, our teams moved swiftly and successfully arrested the accused from the Tinsukia railway station. Most importantly, we have safely rescued the two minor girls and the minor boy who were in his custody.”
Preliminary investigation suggests that Patnaik is a key figure in an interstate trafficking network operating across northeastern states. According to police sources, he has been involved in the trafficking of women and minors for years, luring them with false promises of employment and education before selling them in other states. A search for him had been ongoing for an extended period before the secret tip-off finally led to his capture.
Following the arrest, a suo moto case has been registered at the Lahowal Police Station. Patnaik has been charged under Sections 137-2 (kidnapping) and 143-5 (trafficking of person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He has been remanded to judicial custody. The police have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on uncovering the full extent of the trafficking network and identifying any other individuals involved.
