Puri: A mother from Puri district has made an emotional appeal to the Odisha government and local authorities to rescue her daughter, whom she claims was abducted and is now being held in Bangladesh under distressing circumstances.
The woman alleged that her daughter, who disappeared in 2021, is a victim of Love Jihad. The then 16-year-old girl came in contact with a youth named Sabir during the COVID-19 restrictions while using her smartphone for online studies and was allegedly kidnapped on November 27, 2021. “She picked her bag and left home for tuition but never returned,” the distraught mother told a local news channel.
Following her disappearance, she filed a complaint, leading to the registration of a case. Police last traced her mobile phone to Dinahat in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. “We had then gone to Dinahat and met the police there. However, she could not be tracked thereafter and her phone was found switched off,” she said.
The woman further stated that she received a call from an unknown number after four months. “She told me that they took her to Bangladesh by bus. My daughter pleaded with me to take her back home as she was being made to slog at home and subjected to physical and mental torture,” the mother said, adding that she also had been forcibly converted to another religion.
The woman said that she last received a message from her earlier this month and said that her life was in danger. “I once went through the whole process of getting a passport and visa but could not muster courage to travel to another country,” she said.
On Tuesday, the mother submitted a written complaint to the Puri police, urging immediate intervention to bring her daughter back from the neighbouring country. She has appealed to both state and central governments for diplomatic and legal assistance to facilitate her return.
“We have received the complaint and are investigating the case. After gathering all details, we will approach the Special Branch and write to the concerned High Commission to facilitate her return,” said Puri SP Prateek Singh.
