Nepali man arrested for kidnapping Sikkim girl; victim rescued after 42 days

A Nepali citizen has been arrested for kidnapping and sexually exploiting an 18-year-old girl from Sikkim under the guise of offering her a job. The victim, who had been missing for over a month, was rescued on December 19, 2024, near the India-Nepal border.

The ordeal began when the girl, who speaks Nepali, was contacted by Jeevan Chetri, a man from Nepal, via Facebook. Lured by the promise of a job, she was trafficked through Siliguri, West Bengal, to Delhi, where she was held captive and exploited for 42 days. Unaware of the dangers, the girl did not realize that speaking her native language could put her in such a perilous situation.

During her captivity, the girl's family in Sikkim launched an extensive search, including filing a report with the police and seeking help from various organizations. On December 18, Chetri pretending to be a truck driver, called the girl’s family and demanded 4,000 rupees, claiming that the girl had lost her way and promising to return her home.

This call triggered a coordinated effort between Sikkim Police, Duars Expressmail NGO and the India Foundation. They traced the girl's location to Ashok Nagar in Delhi. As the search intensified, Kshetri planned to flee to Nepal with the girl. However, authorities were quick to act, and with the help of Nepal Police and the SSB, Chetri was apprehended near Laukaha, close to the India-Nepal border, on December 19.

The girl has been safely reunited with her family, and Chetri has been handed over to Nepal Police for further legal proceedings.