Two minor girls missing from shelter home rescued from

Two minor girls who were missing from a shelter home in Odisha's Kalahandi district since last month have been rescued from Bengaluru and Chennai, a police officer said on Tuesday.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly prompting the two girls, aged around 15 years, to escape from the shelter home run by an NGO here on September 24, Kalahandi Superintendent of Police B Gangadhar said.

Police teams rescued one girl and arrested the accused, identified as Purna Chandra Chatria, from the outskirt of Bengaluru. Another girl was rescued from near Chennai on Sunday. All of them were brought here on Tuesday, the SP said.

The Police had launched an investigation after the girls, who belong to different villages under Jaipatna Police Station limits, went missing.

While one girl was traced on the outskirt of Bengaluru, the other was found near Chennai where they were engaged in a brick kiln and a tailoring unit respectively, police said.

Accused Chatria, who belongs to Tentulikhunti village under Jaipatna area, was responsible for the whole episode and he assisted the two girls to escape with him, they said.

With detailed planning, Chatria brainwashed the girls, helped them to escape from the shelter home and took them with him, the SP said.

The accused engaged one girl in the brick kiln near Bengaluru where he is also working, and engaged the other girl in a tailoring unit at Tirupur near Chennai.

The statements of the two girls will be recorded and investigation is in progress, he said