Trafficked runaway teen from Bangladesh reunited with parents

Navi Mumbai: A rescued 14-year-old schoolgirl who had run away from her home in Bangladesh last year after failing an exam, has been reunited with her parents by the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar police.The girl was lured to India by an acquaintance and first taken to Nadiad in Gujarat where she was raped by multiple men. Later, she was taken to Vasai, Naigaon, where social service organisations learned about the minor and alerted the police. TOI had reported about the teen in July last year.Dr A Mathai, founder-chairman of Harmony Foundation and former vice-chairman of the Minorities Commission, expressed "deep relief and gratitude" at the teen's reunion with her parents.Mathai said the girl was rescued from Naigaon in July 2025 through the joint efforts of the Harmony Foundation and partner NGO Exodus Road India Foundation with the help of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police under the personal supervision of commissioner Niket Kaushik. Mathai said,"This young girl, frightened after failing an examination and unsure about how to face her parents, left her home in a moment of panic and vulnerability. In her confusion, she encountered a woman who appeared to offer her help and reassurance, as she was an acquaintance. Tragically, that trust was betrayed, and she was trafficked."Following her rescue on July 26 last year, investigations led to the arrest of 10 accused individuals .Mathai said the girl's rescue and safe return "remind us why timely intervention and dedicated rescue efforts are so vital. It reaffirms the need to stay vigilant and relentless in our fight against trafficking."An activist said, "Parents should not be too strict or dictatorial with their children, as such an attitude can have horrific consequences as was seen in this case of a child simply failing an exam."