PANAJI: A man wanted in a human trafficking case in West Bengal was arrested from Old Goa on Sunday in a joint operation by the Old Goa Police and the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Kalimpong.
In a press note issued today, the Old Goa Police stated that the accused, Pinku Roy, a native of Assam, was residing and working at a restaurant in Old Goa.
The case was registered following a complaint by a woman from Dr Graham's area in Kalimpong district. As per the complaint, Roy had entered into a contractual marriage with the victim in Bengaluru in 2023. The couple later shifted to Kalimpong, where they signed a simple marriage agreement, before moving to Kerala and then Karnataka.
According to the victim, on August 6, 2024, Roy, along with co-accused Arun Prakash Shetty (currently absconding), allegedly attempted to traffic her and her newborn child by trying to relocate them to an unknown destination without her knowledge. She managed to escape and filed a police complaint.
Based on this, LSI Shanti Lama, Officer-in-Charge of AHTU Kalimpong, led a team to Goa, where they coordinated with the Old Goa Police to keep the accused under surveillance and successfully apprehend him. He was booked in connection with Kalimpong Women PS Case No. 13/2024 under sections 85/127(2)/143(2)/62/61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Roy was produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Merces, and has been remanded to seven days' transit custody. The AHTU Kalimpong team will escort him back to West Bengal today for further investigation.
