A couple, who works in Vijaywada but keeps a rented place at Parsudih here, was arrested for human trafficking, after three girls, two of them minors, were rescued from Tatanagar station on Saturday.

On the basis of an FIR lodged by the father of one of the rescued girls, police have registered a case of abduction and trafficking against the couple, Suresh Murmu (35) and Kiran Murmu (32). After a round of interrogation, police believe the couple may have trafficked several tribal girls to Vijaywada with a help an agent, whom they are trying to nab.

The girls who are presently with Childline, a voluntary organisation that works for child rights, had been promised jobs in fisheries, a thriving trade in Andhra Pradesh. They were rescued with the help of RPF at Tatanagar. While the two minor girls (aged 14 and 15) are residents of Sarjamda, the third (25) lives in Chholagora in Parsudih.

According to the police, the girls met the couple on Sunday, April 14 at the house of Chunaram Murmu at Chholagora. Suresh and his wife had taken a portion of the house on rent. The girls were not to be seen after that. Their parents, who had begun searching for them, also informed Parsudih police station.

Police believe the couple took the girls to Vijaywada on Monday by the Tata-Alleppey Express.

“On Wednesday, April 17 the 25-year-old woman somehow managed to inform her brother over cell phone that they were with Suresh and Kiran and that they were being tortured and not being given regular meals. Her brother then contacted Suresh and threatened to lodge an FIR with the Parsudih police station if he did not bring them back immediately,” said a police officer familiar with the case.

Suresh and his wife arrived with the girls at Tatanagar on Saturday morning by the Alleppey-Tata Express.

The girls’ parents received them at the station and also contacted RPF to complain against the couple.

RPF inspector at Tatanagar M.K. Singh then contacted Childline. Eventually, the couple was handed over to Parsudih police station.

“This is a matter of abduction and human trafficking. We have registered a case against the couple accordingly,” said OC Animesh Gupta, adding that they were now looking for their agent, Dhiula Murmu, who apparently held the couple traffic tribal girs to Vijaywada.

Childline’s centre co-ordinator Arvinda said they would recommend medical examination of all the three girls although prima facie it did not seem they had been physically harmed.