Assam: Two Mariani girls reported missing, draw parallels to Noonmati case

The unsettling trend of student disappearances continues in Assam, echoing the recent Nunmati incident. This time, the focus is on Mariani, where two Class 8 students have been missing since Monday, raising concerns across the state.

The missing girls are identified as Anushka Koch, daughter of Nitya Koch from Kalyanpur No. 1, and Gayatri Chutia, daughter of Karuna Chutia from Kalyanpur No. 2. Notably, Gayatri was set to appear for her high school examination this year. The two students left home together on Monday, and their families have not received any information about them since.

An FIR was filed with the Mariani police regarding their disappearance, but as of now, there's no trace of the girls. Anushka Koch added an unsettling layer to the situation by sending a WhatsApp message to a boy from her house on Wednesday, stating, "We're fine. Don't worry about us. We are not with the boys. We are both together"

Despite the family's efforts, there has been no progress in locating the missing girls. Family members have expressed dissatisfaction with the Mariani police, claiming that the authorities did not adequately pursue the mobile location of the students. Suspicions arise that the girls might have fallen prey to a female trafficking circle.

This incident follows a similar pattern to the Nunmati case on February 14, where two eighth-graders went missing after Saraswati Puja. A subsequent message from one of the missing students' mobiles added complexity to the situation. The police, facing challenges, eventually rescued the students in Tihu, arresting three individuals involved in the case.

As the search for the missing Mariani girls intensifies, questions linger about the circumstances of their disappearance. Police investigations will likely uncover the truth, shedding light on whether the girls were abducted or left of their own accord.