Odisha teenage girl recovered from Delhi hotel

New Delhi: A 19-year-old girl who had allegedly left her home in Orissa after having a quarrel with her father was recovered from a hotel in Chandni Chowk, police said today.

The girl wanted to open a beauty parlour and wasn’t interested in pursuing her studies further which was a bone of contention between her and her father, who runs a cold drink shop in Berhampur, Orissa, police said.

After he didn’t agree to her demands, she ran away from home on November 9 and stayed at a friend’s place for five-six days in Berhampur. Later, she came to Delhi on November 16, they added.

The Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Crime Branch received information about a missing girl from Gosaninuagaon police station in district Berhampur, Odisha, and the information that she might be in Delhi following which a team under Dr G Ramgopal Naik began searching for her, said Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (Crime).

“The girl’s father told police that he had received messages about withdrawal of money from her bank account from ATMs in different areas of Delhi on November 16, 17 and 18,” said the officer.

The team got the video clippings from the ATMs where she had gone, he said, adding that the girl was seen with a boy aged around 21-22.

The boy was traced in New Delhi Railway station and identified as a taxi driver, Rupesh Gola, he said.

Gola told cops that he had helped the girl find a hotel in Chandni Chowk where she was traced, he said.

“She came to Delhi in search of a job but she had no specialization or proper qualifications. While she was near the redlight area (GB Road) Ajmeri Gate, she came across Gola, who assisted her. Despite advice by Gola to return to her home, she didn’t go back. Had she not been recovered so soon, there were chances of the girl falling in the trap of human traffickers, said the officer.