Police Efforts Falter as Missing Women and Girls in Assam Continue to Rise

The alarming trafficking of young women and girls from Assam to other states is on the rise. Despite the government's claims of working towards women's safety, it appears that law enforcement and administration have failed to take effective action against this growing trafficking network. While officials make speeches about women’s safety in the state, it is concerning that the government has been unsuccessful in locating young women and girls who go missing on a daily basis from Assam.

Recently, incidents of human trafficking have been particularly concerning in districts like Udalguri, Baksa, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Sonitpur. According to information gathered by Asomiya Pratidin’s Digital Desk, the police seem to have been ineffective in searching for missing women or girls, instead resorting to issuing newspaper advertisements after long delays.

In the last quarter of 2024, nearly 33 young women went missing, with a large number of them from Udalguri. Often, families fail to report such cases to the police, leaving these incidents unresolved. One such case was of a 25-year-old woman, Namita Das, from Majrabari village in the Simla police station area of Udalguri, who went missing on December 5, 2024. Despite registering the case with a reference number (11/2024), the police have failed to make any progress. The Udalguri police, however, resorted to issuing a public notice, asking anyone with information to contact a specified number.

Another case from Udalguri involved Imara Khatun, a 29-year-old woman who went missing on October 22, 2024. Despite extensive efforts, her whereabouts remain unknown. Similarly, Pooja Bakching, a 20-year-old from the Harisinga police station area, went missing on October 20, 2024, but there has been no information about her since.

Other missing cases in the region include 22-year-old Hamida Khatun from Rowta police station area, who was reported missing on March 22, 2024. However, the police only issued an advertisement and took no further action. Around 22 women have gone missing from Udalguri district in the past three months alone.

The list of missing women from Udalguri includes 42-year-old Luyam Daimary, 30-year-old Mallika Khatun, 19-year-old Mirzina Khatun, 27-year-old Monika Baruah, 35-year-old Musta Goyary, 28-year-old Rashmi Kurmi, and many others. The majority of these cases are from Harisinga, Simla, and Rowta police station areas of Udalguri.

This is just one example; over the past three months, 22 women have gone missing from Udalguri alone, and the number of missing women and girls in the state is rising. Along with immoral activities, human trafficking is becoming a major concern. Human trafficking is now a significant challenge in Assam.

Not only in Udalguri, but cases from Dhubri and Dibrugarh also show that the police have failed to trace the missing women. For instance, on November 6, 2024, an 18-year-old woman went missing from Belguri village in the Agamani police station area, and the police have been unable to locate her. Similarly, Kaberi Gogoi, an 18-year-old girl from Dibrugarh, went missing on November 9, 2024, and again, the police only issued an advertisement and took no further action.

The Assam Police have announced various measures against traffickers but have not been successful in curbing the trafficking of women, children, and girls. These events highlight the serious concern about human trafficking in the state, with young girls and women becoming the target of this trafficking network.

Also Read: Assam HS Exams: First Day Marred by Unfair Practices; 3 Held in Nagaon