Agartala, February 14, 2026: Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma has strongly appealed to parents not to provide mobile phones to students staying in hostels, citing serious safety concerns. He made the appeal on Saturday while visiting the students’ hostel of Purnajoy CP High School located in the Dakshin Tuisama area of Dashda-Kanchanpur. MDC Bhumika Nanda Reang accompanied him during the visit.

The minister’s visit follows a recent incident in which three students from the school’s girls’ hostel, along with two minor girls from outside, left the hostel premises after allegedly establishing contact through mobile phones. All five minors were later rescued by the Airport Police Station. Initial investigation revealed that they were allegedly being taken out of the state for the purpose of smuggling, creating widespread concern in the region.

During his inspection, Debbarma reviewed the hostel’s security arrangements, assessed the role of responsible staff, and sought details on how the students managed to leave the premises. Speaking to reporters, he said that an organized gang is active in different parts of the state, targeting minors through mobile communication. He alleged that such groups establish contact, lure children with false promises of friendship and emotional manipulation, and then trap them in trafficking networks. He expressed apprehension that a similar group might be behind the recent incident.

The minister emphasized that parents must exercise caution before handing over mobile phones to children, particularly those residing in hostels. According to him, parental awareness is crucial to ensuring a safe academic environment. He warned that unnecessary and unsupervised use of mobile phones can expose minors to serious risks.

Debbarma further stated that the police have initiated necessary steps to identify and dismantle the suspected trafficking network and that the investigation is progressing. He assured that the government would prioritize strengthening hostel security and enhancing surveillance mechanisms to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

However, the swift action of law enforcement in rescuing the minors has brought some relief. The focus now remains on apprehending the masterminds behind the trafficking attempt and implementing preventive measures to safeguard students in the future.