Guwahati: A minor girl was rescued from illegal confinement at a house in Guwahati’s Panjabari area after police found her hidden inside the storage compartment of a bed box. The operation was carried out by the Dispur Police with support from child welfare officials following repeated complaints from neighbours.
Residents had alleged that the child was being physically abused and confined at the residence of an engineer identified as Arina Laskar Khatoon.
Search Leads To Shocking Discovery
When the police team reached the house in Juripar, they reportedly faced resistance. Khatoon denied the allegations and claimed the child had already been sent back to her father.
Despite the denial, officials conducted a thorough search of the premises. Initial checks yielded no results, but suspicion grew when officers entered a bedroom and found the accused’s son lying on top of a large bed box. He allegedly refused to move, while Khatoon insisted there was no need to inspect the furniture.
Officials persisted, removed the mattress and opened the storage compartment, where they discovered the minor girl concealed inside.
Video showed her hidden in the dark storage compartment by Amrin Akhtar Laskar, with her husband Baharul Haque Laskar also charged for child labor and cruelty. Also, the accused reportedly hid the girl inside the box for about 25 minutes before officials arrived.
A 13-year-old girl was rescued from horrific abuse in Panjabari after being found locked inside a divan storage box. The District Labour Task Force, with a magistrate present, raided the house of Amrin Akhtar Laskar (House No. 69, Juripar) on Sunday evening following local… pic.twitter.com/RUAkMl433K
— Ron Bikash Gaurav (@RonBikashGaurav) February 3, 2026
Guwahati Child Found Traumatized, Probe Underway
Police said the child was found huddled in a cramped, airless space and appeared severely traumatized. She was immediately given water and reassured by the rescue team.
After regaining composure, the girl told officials that she had been working in the household since the age of 6. Now around ten years old, she reportedly said she had spent several years employed as domestic help and was subjected to physical torture, corroborating the complaints raised by neighbours.
Following the rescue, Dispur Police registered a case under Section 138 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The child has been shifted to a government-run facility for medical examination and psychological counselling.
Police said the interrogation of Arina Laskar Khatoon is ongoing to determine the full extent of the alleged abuse and exploitation.
