Bhubaneswar: Two officials from the Embassy of Nepal, New Delhi, arrived in Bhubaneswar on Saturday to facilitate the repatriation of two Nepalese minor girls, who were rescued from a trafficking network.

The girls, both aged 17, were allegedly trafficked from Nepal to Kolkata in March on the pretext of employment and were later forced into prostitution. They were rescued last month by an Odia youth, identified as Rakesh from Nayagarh district, who brought them to Bhubaneswar.

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Upon arrival, the embassy officials are scheduled to meet the Khordha Collector and the District Child Protection Officer to discuss the case and assess the process for safe repatriation. They are also expected to examine the possibility of a larger trafficking racket that lures women with fake job offers.

The girls were rescued by Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Commissionerate Police from a hotel in the Patia area after Rakesk informed the Chandrasekharpur Police Station. They were subsequently placed in a short-stay home for care and rehabilitation.

Police had informed the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi to initiate formal repatriation procedures. After completing necessary formalities and investigation, the officials are expected to take the girls to Delhi before sending them back to Nepal.

Authorities continue to probe the trafficking network involved in the case.