Missing teen rescued after over a year, man held by Lucknow AHTU

The Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Lucknow Police has rescued a 16-year-old girl who had been missing for over a year and arrested a man accused of allegedly luring her away on the pretext of marriage.

“The girl, whose disappearance was reported at Madyeganj police station on April 18, 2025, was traced in the Mahmoodabad area of Sitapur district on June 29 following a prolonged investigation involving technical surveillance, digital footprint analysis, human intelligence and coordination with police units in multiple districts,” a Lucknow Police press note said.

Police said the case, initially registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to the kidnapping of a minor, was later transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) due to its sensitive nature and the need for a specialised investigation.

“According to the girl’s statement recorded under Section 180 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the accused, identified as Salman, a resident of Basantpur village under Baddoopur police station in Barabanki district, allegedly lured her away on the promise of marriage,” said DCP (Crime) Anil Yadav.

“He allegedly kept her at his native village with his family and forced her to beg for alms. At the time of her rescue, she was reportedly begging near the Sankata Devi temple in Mahmoodabad,” he added.

Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, police arrested the accused on July 1 and produced him before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody.

After the rescue, the girl underwent a medical examination and her statement was recorded as per legal procedure. She was later produced before the Child Welfare Committee and subsequently shifted to a government-run children’s home for care and protection.

Additional DCP (Crime) Kiran Yadav said the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) takes up missing-person cases that require specialised investigation. “Our teams use technical surveillance, digital footprint analysis, human intelligence and inter-district coordination to trace missing persons and bring offenders to justice,” she said.