Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Jul 1: In a joint operation, the Old Goa Police and the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Kalimpong arrested a man wanted in a human trafficking case from a restaurant in Old Goa on Sunday.

The accused, Pinku Roy, a native of Assam, was tracked down and taken into custody following a surveillance operation based on a complaint filed by a woman from Dr Graham's area in Kalimpong district, West Bengal.

According to the police, Roy had entered into a contractual marriage with the victim in Bengaluru in 2023. The couple later relocated to Kalimpong, where they signed a simple marriage agreement, and subsequently moved to Kerala and Karnataka.

The victim alleged that on August 6, 2024, Roy, along with a co-accused identified as Arun Prakash Shetty—currently absconding—attempted to traffic her and her newborn child by secretly relocating them to an unknown destination. She managed to escape and filed a police complaint.

Following this, LSI Shanti Lama, Officer-in-Charge of AHTU Kalimpong, led a team to Goa, where they worked closely with Old Goa Police to monitor Roy’s movements. He was arrested and booked under Kalimpong Women PS Case No. 13/2024, registered 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 remanded to seven days’ transit custody. The AHTU Kalimpong team will escort him to West Bengal for further investigation.