Kozhikode police nabs Assam native accused of human trafficking after months on the run

Kozhikode: Nallalam Police apprehended Naseedul Sheikh (24), a migrant labourer from Lalpetta, Assam, who was wanted in a human trafficking and POCSO case. Sheikh had escaped police custody in 2024 by jumping off a train. 

He is accused of kidnapping and raping a 15-year-old girl from West Bengal who was residing in Cheruvannur, Kozhikode, in October 2024. Sheikh took the girl to his father in Haryana and sold her for ₹25,000 to another gang, who further raped and impregnated her.

Following a complaint from the girl's father, the police registered a case and initially arrested Sheikh in the first week of November 2024 at his hometown. However, he escaped while being transported back to Kozhikode when the train reached Bihar.

With the assistance of the Cyber Security wing, police recently found that Sheikh had returned to his native place. A team of officers, led by Sub Inspector Sunil Kumar, travelled to Assam and, with the help of the Assamese police, captured him from a hideout near his friend's house after 11 days. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.