Silchar: Four Married Women Vanish, Prompting Human Trafficking Fears; Families Allege Police Demanded Money for Investigation

In a troubling series of events, four married women have vanished without a trace within the past two months from the Bajantipur-Ambicapur areas of Silchar. Located just a stone’s throw away from the bustling College Road, the local community is now gripped by concerns of a potential human trafficking operation.

The unsettling saga began on August 23, 2023, with the disappearance of 30-year-old Rabita Sinha, the second wife of Sonai Sinha. Her family reported to Police that she went missing from their home in the Chengcoore area, taking their two daughters, aged 12 and 10, with her.

The second case involves 38-year-old Rabhi Sinha, who left her residence on October 10 to collect some documents on Ashram Road. She failed to return home, prompting her family to file a case with the National Highway Road Police Patrol Post.

Adding to the distressing pattern, a local NGO disclosed that yet another married woman from the same Bajantipur GP area has disappeared along with her two children. However, societal pressures have kept the husband from coming forward to voice his concerns.

While these three cases have fueled apprehension in Silchar’s Chenkoorie area, a recent incident unfolded in the neighboring Ashram Road locality. According to a police complaint, Monosha Das, the 36-year-old wife of Samiran Das, went missing on October 26 from the Bishfuti area within Ambicapur GP.

The disappearance of four married women, along with their children, has incited fear among locals, who suspect a potential case of human trafficking.

Alarming allegations against the police have also surfaced. The husband of one of the missing women, in collaboration with members of a local NGO, claimed that the National Highway Police Patrol Post officials demanded between Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 for the case’s investigation.

Expressing his distress, one victim’s husband said, “When we went to lodge the complaint with National Highway Police Patrol Post, the officers there said that they have recently solved a missing case similar to that of ours and they had to spend Rs 25,000 to solve the same. They haven’t got that money yet. So, to work on this case, the Police will have to spend again and for that, the Police officials asked me to pay Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000. I am a poor fellow, how will I pay such a huge amount and so the Police are not investigating the case is what we believe.”

Barak Bulletin sought a response from Cachar SP Numal Mahatta regarding these allegations. He vehemently denied any instance of police officials requesting cash for lodging a case. Mahatta assured the public, “If this has occurred to the victims’ relatives, I invite them to meet me at my office, and I will ensure that strict action is taken against the officials as per law.” He emphasized that this misunderstanding must be resolved.

Regarding the missing cases, Cachar SP Numal Mahatta claimed that significant progress has been made, and the recovery of the missing individuals is expected shortly. However, he refrained from disclosing specific details or whereabouts, citing the need to protect the ongoing investigation.

In an attempt to alleviate concerns, SP Mahatta personally met with the family members of the missing individuals to inform them of the progress in their respective cases. The situation continues to unfold, leaving the community anxiously awaiting further developments.