Three women, including a Bangladeshi national, have gone missing from the All Bengal Women’s Union Home, Shakti Sadan, on Elliot Road under Park Street Police Station. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
Police register case
According to the police case registered under Section 140(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, unidentified persons allegedly used deceitful means to induce the three women to leave the lawful custody and care of the shelter home, with the alleged intention of wrongfully confining them at an undisclosed location.
Bangladeshi woman among three missing residents
The three missing women have been identified as Runa Begum, 31, Suchitra, 39, and Manisha Kumari, 19.
Runa Begum is a Bangladeshi national and is originally from Gulshan Model Town in Dhaka. Police had reportedly rescued her a few months ago and placed her at the Park Street shelter home.
Deaf and mute woman also missing
Suchitra, who is deaf and mute, is a resident of Elliot Road and had been staying at the shelter home for a considerable period. The third woman, Manisha Kumari, is a 19-year-old resident of Ara Station in Bhojpur district of Bihar. She too had reportedly been rescued and kept at the home for her safety.
Bihar woman among missing shelter residents
Police investigation has revealed that the three women were staying together and had allegedly planned to leave the shelter home together. Investigators have examined CCTV footage from the home and surrounding areas to reconstruct their movements.
CCTV footage reveals late night movements
According to the investigation, the three women allegedly used a key to open the locked premises between 2 am and 2.30 am and left the home after covering their faces. The shelter authorities reportedly noticed their absence only the following morning.
The police are examining multiple possibilities, including whether the women left on their own or were taken away by someone. The possibility of a trafficking or abduction network is also being investigated.
Police examine possible abduction and trafficking
Police are also looking into the possibility that Runa, the Bangladeshi national, may have crossed into Bangladesh through an unauthorised route, although investigators have not reached any conclusion yet.
The shelter home’s role and the delay in reporting the disappearance are also being examined as part of the investigation. Police said efforts are underway to trace all three women and determine the exact circumstances in which they left the premises.
