Purnea, Feb. 14: Barely two days after 25 girls were rescued from a red light area at Forbesganj, police rescued a minor confined to a house at Bela Rikabganj village. Three persons were arrested for trying to force her into fresh trade.

Acting on a tip-off, Purnea police conducted a raid on the house of Raj Ballabh Yadav yesterday evening and rescued the 14-year-old. The arrested trio, including Raj Ballabh and his two sons Ram Pravesh Yadav and Ramesh Yadav — all distant relatives of the girl, were sent to Purnea Central Jail today after a court remanded them to 14-day judicial custody.

The police later handed over the girl to a Purnea-based rehabilitation centre headed by A.K. Raman. Raman told The Telegraph: “The girl’s statements were recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC. Since the statement was recorded on camera and nobody was present except the first class magistrate, she stuck to the statement she made before us. After the court proceedings, the girl was handed over to her mother.”

A resident of Jadav Tola under Khazanchi Haat police station, the rescued girl is a Class IX student of Government High School. Her mother lodged an FIR against four persons, including Raj Ballabh, Ram Pravesh, Ramesh and Geeta Devi, at Khazanchi Haat police station accusing them of kidnapping her daughter on January 11.