Bangladeshi teen rescued from sex racket in India

A 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl was rescued from a sex trafficking racket at Palghar district of Maharashtra state in India.

 According to police, she was sexually assaulted by at least 200 men over a period of three months and police are now working to find her identity.

The girl was rescued on July 26 after a joint operation by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar Police and two NGOs.

The team raided a flat at Naigaon in the Vasai area, leading to the rescue of five victims, three of whom are Bangladeshi nationals.

Among those arrested are two women, aged 33 and 32, who allegedly facilitated the juvenile's entry into India from Bangladesh.

Naigaon Police Station senior inspector Vijay Kadam said that they have arrested ten persons so far in connection with the case.

Those arrested include the main accused, Mohammad Khalid Abdul Bapari, 33, who was allegedly responsible for sending the victims to various cities for the flesh trade and agents Juber Harun Sheikh, 38, and Shamim Gafar Sardar, 39, the police said.

According to the victim’s statement, she was first trafficked to Nadiad in Gujarat, where she suffered sexual abuse.

Harmony Foundation, an NGO, president Abraham Mathai said the girl had failed in a subject in school, after which she ran away from home.

She was then made to cross over into India illegally by a woman acquaintance who then pushed her into the flesh trade, Mathai claimed.

All the 200 men who allegedly sexually abused her must be traced and arrested, Mathai demanded.

Police officials also said the girl may have been given hormonal injections to induce premature puberty.

Human rights activist Madhu Shankar said there are instances of victims being kidnapped from various parts of the country when they were infants, made to live with those operating such rackets and then pushed into the flesh trade as minors after being given such injections.

The accused also gave sedatives to the minor girl and branded her with a hot spoon as part of efforts to force her into the flesh trade, the official said.

Police teams have been dispatched to various places in the country to apprehend others involved in the racket, he said.

A case was filed in connection with the case on July 27, the police added. 

NSA