Mob assault in Burdwan leads police to suspected child trafficking gang

Two men suspected of attempting child abduction were beaten by a mob in the Burdwan area of Purba Bardhaman district, an incident that later led police to uncover a suspected minor trafficking network.

According to police sources, locals in the jurisdiction of Burdwan Police Station caught the two men on suspicion of child kidnapping and assaulted them before handing them over to the police. The suspects were later identified as Bablu Sheikh (44), a resident of Dakshin Lakshmipur in Malda district, and Sheikh Mubarak (32), a resident of Galsi in Purba Bardhaman.Police rescued the two from the mob and took them to the station for questioning. During interrogation, investigators allegedly found links to a suspected minor trafficking racket.

The development is connected to a case reported earlier this year. In February, a resident named Sheikh Rahim had filed a complaint alleging that his son, Sheikh Jasim, had been kidnapped. The boy later managed to escape and return home, claiming he had been kept in a secret location where several other minors were also allegedly confined and subjected to torture.

During questioning, police said the two arrested men confessed to their involvement in Jasim’s kidnapping. Investigators suspect that minors were being lured or abducted and then forced into criminal activities. Both accused have been arrested and are scheduled to be produced before a court on Saturday. Police said further interrogation is underway to identify other members of the alleged trafficking network and locate any minors who may still be trapped.