Assam: Minor girl from Margherita allegedly exploited as domestic help in Guwahati; FIR filed

The parents of a 16-year-old girl from Margherita Tea Estate in Assam's Tinsukia district have alleged that their daughter was taken to Guwahati on the promise of education and later subjected to exploitation and abuse while being made to work as a domestic help.
 

According to the family, a man identified as Shiv Bansal, a resident of Margherita who is employed with a private bank in Guwahati, allegedly took the minor girl to the city assuring her parents that he would arrange for her education. However, the family has alleged that instead of being enrolled in school, the girl was made to work as a domestic worker at his residence.
 

The allegations came to light after the girl's mother travelled to Guwahati in an attempt to bring her daughter back home. The mother alleged that when she reached the residence in the city's Gandhinagar area, she was threatened by Bansal and his wife. She claimed that the couple physically restrained her and threatened to throw her from the building.
 

Despite the alleged intimidation, the mother managed to take her daughter away from the residence and returned to Margherita. Upon her return, she approached members of the All Adivasi Student Association of Assam (AASAA) and narrated the incident.
 

Following the complaint, a team from the AASAA's Margherita Regional Committee visited the victim's family at Margherita Tea Estate and later met the parents of the accused in Margherita. The organisation has also extended support to the family.
 

AASAA has lodged an FIR at Margherita Police Station against Shiv Bansal, seeking a thorough investigation into the allegations.
 

The incident has sparked concern among various organisations in the region, with several groups demanding action and justice for the minor girl. They have called for a detailed probe into the circumstances under which the girl was taken to Guwahati and the allegations of exploitation made by her family.
 

Further investigation is underway.