Pakistan Connection Of Missing Girl Found On Delhi-Bihar Train

A missing minor girl who was rescued from a train earlier this week has a Pakistan connection. The incident came to light on September 4 when the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj received a tip-off through a helpline about a minor girl from Nawada, Bihar, who had allegedly fallen prey to an online honey trap. 

According to officials, the girl had left her home in anger after a disagreement with her family and boarded the Mahabodhi Express, which runs between Gaya and New Delhi.

An RPF team boarded the train upon its arrival at Prayagraj Junction. During the inspection, officials noticed a young girl, her face partially covered. The team established her identity by comparing her image with photographs and provided by her family who had registered a mission person's report.

The RPF immediately removed the girl from the train. She was subsequently handed over to Childline Prayagraj under the legal procedure for minors. At the time of her disappearance, her family had already lodged a missing person's case at Pakribarwan police station in Nawada district of Bihar.

During questioning, the girl explained that she had befriended a young man through Instagram and intended to meet him in New Delhi. She admitted that the decision to leave home stemmed from frustration over restrictions imposed by her family, particularly relating to her use of mobile phones.

The case took a more serious turn after Childline officials examined the girl's mobile phone. Investigators found several contacts, including Pakistani numbers, raising concerns about possible cross-border involvement.

Further counselling revealed that the girl had befriended multiple people on Instagram, including a girl from Punjab. Through this online acquaintance, she was introduced to a Pakistani youth, with whom she had been regularly communicating. The two reportedly engaged in frequent conversations, and the Pakistani national is believed to have played a role in influencing her decision to leave home.

Sources familiar with the inquiry said that the Pakistani youth had coordinated with the girl's contact in Punjab to arrange her travel. The Punjab-based acquaintance allegedly transferred money to the minor via Paytm for booking tickets and encouraged her to reach New Delhi. From there, she was told she would travel to Punjab, though the final destination was not disclosed to her.

Investigators now believe that the tickets were arranged online by the Pakistani youth, who provided funds through the intermediary in Punjab.

When RPF officers approached the girl during the inspection at Prayagraj Junction, she was reportedly on a call with the Pakistani youth. Upon hearing the presence of police personnel, he abruptly ended the conversation and subsequently blocked the girl on Instagram.

The rescued girl, a resident of Nawada, is reported to have studied up to Class 10. Family members had earlier reprimanded her for her constant use of mobile phones and social networking platforms.

Following the discovery of Pakistani numbers in her phone records and her own admission of online contact with a Pakistani national, the Childline team has submitted a report to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), explicitly mentioning the Pakistani link.

While the precise intent behind the contact remains unclear, agencies are now examining whether the case is an isolated incident of online exploitation or part of a larger network attempting to lure Indian minors across the border.