Agartala, 13th November 2026 : A minor girl from Agartala, who allegedly fell victim to a deceptive offer of a film audition and was taken to Bengaluru, has been safely brought back and reunited with her family after an extensive search involving social activists and volunteers from different cities.
The girl had disappeared on October 13 after reportedly coming into contact with a woman identified as Nishima Ben, who allegedly convinced her that she could get an opportunity to participate in a film audition in Bengaluru. Although the girl was hesitant to travel alone, she was reportedly assured that the woman would arrive there after 15 days.
The girl alleged that she was asked to arrange money by pledging her gold chain. Subsequently, Yuvraj Chowdhury allegedly took the jewellery and handed her Rs 30,000, besides arranging her air ticket to Bengaluru.
But the journey allegedly ended in an entirely different situation from what she had expected. Upon reaching Bengaluru, she was received at the airport and taken to an unknown destination. She later realised that there was neither any film audition nor a shooting assignment waiting for her.
According to the girl, she was subsequently told that no shooting was taking place and that she would have to do some other work. Her mobile phone was allegedly damaged and her SIM card removed, preventing her from communicating with her family.
She further alleged that the individuals involved started demanding money from her relatives. The amount reportedly changed several times, with demands of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 8 lakh and subsequently Rs 2 lakh being made.
In her account, the girl named Nishima Ben, Yuvraj Chowdhury, Naveen Chowdhury and Injamul Haque, whom she associated with an ashram. She also claimed that Yuvraj and Naveen were brothers and belonged to Agartala.
Narrating the family’s struggle, the girl’s father said they had approached the police immediately after she went missing. The family subsequently learnt that she had boarded a flight to Bengaluru at approximately 12:45 pm on October 13. They initially travelled to Mumbai on October 14 and conducted searches for four consecutive days but returned without any breakthrough.
Their hopes were revived when a social activist named Sumit contacted the father around 10–15 days later, informing him that some clues about his daughter’s location had emerged. He was asked to reach Bengaluru to assist in the search.
Once in Bengaluru, the father received support from Nagesh, a member of Hindu Maha Sangathan, and other volunteers. Following several rounds of coordination and tracking, the team identified a location nearly 90 kilometres from Bengaluru airport, where the girl was eventually found.
The father claimed that his daughter was staying alongside several other children, including a boy. He further alleged that some people attempted to remove the children from the spot after he had located his daughter and placed her inside his vehicle. The intervention of the volunteers helped the family leave the area safely.
Social activist Khokan Chandra Paul, who participated in the rescue efforts, said the organisation’s leadership was informed about the matter, following which its networks in Bengaluru and Mumbai were activated.
Paul claimed that the girl had been trapped in a suspected human trafficking network. He said activists continuously monitored her movements and exchanged information between the two cities until her location was established. The rescue operation was completed two days before the account was shared.
Paul also stated that Chief Minister Manik Saha had been keeping track of the case and that the state administration had extended necessary support.
Expressing broader concern, Paul alleged that trafficking networks were targeting minor boys and girls in Tripura by offering them attractive opportunities outside the state, with some allegedly being transported to other parts of the country and even abroad.
He appealed to parents to exercise greater caution whenever their children receive offers of employment, modelling assignments, film auditions or other opportunities outside Tripura. He also emphasised that regular communication between parents and children is essential to identify suspicious developments before they turn into serious incidents.
