Monthly Archives: November 2011

Nov24

Human trafficking is one of the biggest challenge before humankind : NCW Chairperson

Posted on by
Human trafficking is one of the biggest challenge before humankind : NCW Chairperson
RACKET BUSTED IN INDORE

RACKET BUSTED IN INDORE

Press Information Bureau

Smt. Mamta Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women believes that  to combat human trafficking, several short-term and long-term measures are needed to be taken up at all levels. There is an urgent need to create awareness among the public about human trafficking. Media can play a very effective role here. Poverty alleviation measures too will help in combating it in the long run.

 Smt. Sharma was giving an inaugural address. A National Seminar on “Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking in India “ was  jointly organized by National Commission for Women and National Human Rights Commission today  at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.  The Seminar   was attended by senior govt officials, State Commissions for Women and representatives of NGOs.

Smt. Sharma also mentioned that National Commission for Women has entered into partnership with UNIFEM by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly work on the issue of combating trafficking in women and girls.In the MOU it is proposed to combat this menace by addressing the problem at the source itself, from where the women are trafficked.. The project was initially taken up in 6 states to mobilize community action for stopping trafficking. One of the priority exercises would be mapping of the source area by way of studies and brainstorming /awareness through seminars. .  Vulnerability, Mapping has been conducted in the States of Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh & West Bengal.

Shri. Rajiv Sharma, Secretary General, NHRC emphasized on drawing of a complete Action Plan. Smt. Charu Walikhanna , Member NC Smt. Anita Agnihotri W, deliberated upon the seriousness of the issue and cited some case studies. NCW Member Secretary , welcomed the participants and emphasized on the  continued efforts to combat trafficking. Three panel discussions were also held on the issues – human trafficking-vulnerability Mapping, Dealing with Human Trafficking: Legal Framework,  Programmes/schemes for Empowerment of Trafficked Victims and integrated plan of Action to combat Human Trafficking .

The eminent speakers who spoke in various technical sessions were Shri Sankar Sen, Prof. Mondira Dutta , Shri Ravi Kant of SHAKTI VAHINI , Smt. Indrani Sinha of Saanlaap , Ms. Rosanna Lyngdoh – IMPULSE, Shri P.M. Nair, Ms Roma Debabrata -STOP , Dr. Praveen Kumar of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dr. Savita Bakhry of National Human Rights Commission , Dr. Sunita Krishnan .

Some of the important observations and recommendations of the Seminar are as follows :-

  1. Rehabilitation, Reintegration and Repatriation of Trafficked Victims with Special Focus on Child Victims
  2. Witness Protection and Support to Victims
  3. Training, Sensitization, Education and Awareness
  4. Need of convergence with various stakeholders.
  5. Linking the source to destination- the need for Inter-State investigation.
  6. Need for a National nodal agency
  7. An important observation is that the age of victim is coming down.
  8. Trafficking has become a high profit  and low risk venture with enormous earnings for the traffickers and brothel- keepers

Trafficking of human beings does not get that much attention as that of drugs and arms. Information is lacking at different stakeholders level; there are no policies available to provide that information. Hence need for more awareness and sensitization.·It is non-consensual nature of trafficking which distinguishes it from other form of migration.Regional initiatives are required to establish a central database and  regional seminars at vulnerable areas to assess the nature of the problem.Finalizing the Draft Integrated Plan of Action

Related articles
Nov24

Seven Naga girls rescued in Chennai back home

Posted on by
Seven Naga girls rescued in Chennai back home

DIMPAUR, Nov 23 – Seven Naga girls who were rescued from the clutches of flesh trade in Chennai during July this year were brought home on November 13 last by members of the Miqlat Ministry. The Ministry was assigned the task by the Directorate of Women Development and the Nagaland Government.

The release of the girls (name withheld) was ordered by a Chennai Court on October 13 with the condition that they be escorted till Nagaland by two Chennai Police personnel for each rescued girl.However, the case against them will be dismissed only after Chennai High Court reviews the character and behaviour of the girls after one year and finds it satisfactory. A progress report has to be sent by the Ministry every two months.

The girls reached home only now because there were reportedly no police personnel to spare owing to the Tamil Nadu election.All victims of human trafficking, the seven girls were arrested on July 6 by Tamil Nadu Police along with one Korean international, identified as Park Ju Dei, for running a prostitution racket under the pretext of running a hotel cum bar at Nemili near Sriperambudur in Chennai. Seven other Northeastern girls from Manipur and Mizoram were also arrested along with the Naga girls, it was learnt.

The girls from Nagaland, mostly aged between 17 to 25, were sent to a Vigilance Home in Chennai after their arrest and kept there along with the other NE girls. The girls from Manipur and Mizoram are reportedly still under the custody of the Chennai vigilance commission.

Addressing a press conference today, members of the Miqlat Ministry informed that the rescued girls will be kept under their care for rehabilitation for a year or more depending on the wish of the girls.The mission of bringing back the girls back home was assigned to Miqlat in August. However, despite the team making two trips down to Chennai along with Nagaland Police, the vigilance home refused to release the girls since the case was registered in Chennai High Court, and the team did not have certain required documents of the said case. The girls will be housed at Miqlat Ministry for shelter and rehabilitation.

On the promise of lucrative jobs and other opportunities, the seven Naga girls had become victims of human trafficking. The case scenario being that the victims were gullible coupled with ignorance of their parents. Another matter of serious concern is the growing evidence of the existence of trafficking nexus operated by the locals here.

According to Miqlat Ministry, most of the girls are school dropouts and children of poor farmers or daily wage earners. They were tricked to the city with rich promises and then sold for flesh trade by locals.

“Since they don’t have educational qualifications, it added to their vulnerability,” Miqlat Ministry Director said, adding that the rescued girls had themselves revealed their unexpected journey to the illegal and immoral profession. “With limited job opportunities, girls from the NE States are easily lured for lucrative jobs and better opportunities,” she said.

Stating that these girls had sent enough money home with their handsome earnings, the Miqlat Director, however, said parents of the girls had been ignorant of their children’s profession.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=nov2411/oth07

Related articles
Nov23

NCW, UNIFEM join hands to combat trafficking in women, girls

Posted on by
NCW, UNIFEM join hands to combat trafficking in women, girls

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) The average age of trafficked victims is going down and there is a need for aggressive mapping to stop this menace at the source, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Mamta Sharma said today. “To combat human trafficking, several short-term and long-term measures are needed to be taken up at all levels,” she said. Sharma was speaking at the seminar on ‘Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking in India’. The NCW also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UNIFEM to jointly work on the issue of combating trafficking in women and girls. The MoU proposed to combat trafficking menace by addressing the problem at the source itself, from where the women are trafficked. Sharma said there was a need for an aggressive mapping to stop the menace at the source. The project was initially taken up in six states to mobilise community action for stopping trafficking. One of the priority exercises would be mapping of the source area by way of creating awareness through seminars. Vulnerability mapping has been conducted in Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh & West Bengal. Rajiv Sharma, Secretary General, NHRC emphasised on drawing of a complete action plan to combat trafficking in states where there is a large population of poor people. The seminar was attended by senior government officials, State Commissions for Women and representatives of NGOs. The NCW Chairperson noted that trafficking has become a high profit and low risk venture with enormous earnings for the traffickers and brothel-runners. She said that trafficking of human beings does not get as much attention as that of drugs and arms. “Information is lacking at different stakeholders level. There are no policies available to provide that information. Hence, the need for more awareness and sensitisation,” Sharma said. The NCW said that there is a need to finalise the Draft Integrated Plan of Action to curb trafficking at all level.

Related articles
Nov23

Special Steps for Safety of Children

Posted on by
Special Steps for Safety of Children

Central Govt. has advised State Govt. & UT’s to ensure all steps for improving the safety conditions in schools/institutions, public transport used by students, children`s parks/play grounds, residential localities/roads etc. A detailed advisory was sent by the Central Government to all State Governments and UT Administrations wherein States/UTs to this effect.   It has also been advised that the crime prone areas should be identified and a mechanism be put in place to monitor infractions in such areas for ensuring the safety and security of students, especially girls. For this purpose the States/UTs have been advised to take following steps.

  1. Increase the number of beat constables;
  2. Increase the number of police help booths/kiosks,  especially in remote and lonely stretches;
  3. Increase police patrolling, especially during nights;
  4. Posting police officers especially women, fully equipped with policing infrastructure in crime-prone areas in adequate number.

Ministry of Home Affairs has also sanctioned a comprehensive scheme ‘Strengthening law enforcement response in India against trafficking in persons through training and capacity building’ wherein it is proposed to establish 335 Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) throughout the country and impart training to 10,000 police officers through Training of Trainers (TOTs) in three years. Ministry of Home Affairs has released funds as first installment amounting to Rs. 8.72 crores to all the State Governments for establishment of 115 Anti Human Trafficking Units

As per the seventh schedule to the Constitution of India `Police` and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects and, as such, the primary responsibility of prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of crime, lies with the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations. However, Government of India is deeply concerned with the welfare of children and through various schemes and advisories to the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, augments the efforts of the States /UTs.This was stated by Shri Jitendra Singh, Minister of State of Home Affairs in written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Nov22

Army jawan among 8 arrested in sex racket

Posted on by
Army jawan among 8 arrested in sex racket

Lucknow: An army jawan was among eight people arrested for allegedly running a sex racket in Uttar Pradesh‘s Fatehgarh district, police said here on Monday . Acting  on a tip-off, police arrested the eight persons, including the army man and three women, from Ghatiaghat area yesterday for running the sex racket.

PTI

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Army-jawan-arrested-in-sex-racket/articleshow/10819572.cms

Related articles
Nov22

CCB sleuths bust prostitution racket

Posted on by
CCB sleuths bust prostitution racket
Indian visa

INDIAN VISA

BANGALOR: Sleuths of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) busted an inter-state prostitution racket with an international touch, after raiding a posh hotel on Brigade road.Two women, including a 21-year-old woman from Uzbekistan, and three pimps were arrested in the raid, while the kingpin of the racket is on the run.

Assistant Commissioner of Police S V Guled said that the accused Gulnoz and Sabirova, had come to India on tourist visa last year, but did not return even after it expired. “Gulnoz is part of an interstate sex racket being operated across metro cities,” Guled said, adding that she used to shift her base frequently to avoid detection by the law.

Guled further said that the owner of Hotel Brigade Palace, Syed Usman, who is also the kingpin of the racket hired Gulnoz and a few other women from Andhra Pradesh for an escort service. “Usman is now on the run and efforts are being made to nab him,” he said.Police said, the women in the age group of 21-28, had come on a tourist visa and would earn over Rs 5 lakh a month from high-flying sex rings in south Delhi, Goa, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Investigations have revealed that there is an international racket thriving relentlessly on these women, who are being flown in on tourist visas from economically challenged countries such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Russia. These women are lured in with the offer of money in exchange of sex. Over the past few years, India has witnessed thousands of massage parlors, escort agencies and friendship clubs mushrooming across metropolitan cities, which act as fronts for prostitute rackets. “We have also nabbed three pimps, Rakesh, Syed Sameer and M S Sandeep. Along with Gulnoz, we have nabbed a 24-year-old call girl identified as Pari from Andhra Pradesh, who was staying in the hotel to entertain hotel guests,” Guled said.

Related articles
Nov22

Wrong number lands minor in brothel

Posted on by
Wrong number lands minor in brothel
West Bengal landscape

Image by ILRI via Flickr

DNA / MUMBAI

Mumbai: Mona (name changed) will now probably think twice before returning missed calls from unknown numbers. The 16-year-old girl from the South Gopal Chandi area in West Bengal was forced into prostitution by her boyfriend, who she fell in love with after she returned his numerous missed calls on her mobile phone.

According to the police, Mona repeatedly received missed calls from an unknown number over a couple of days. A few days after she returned the calls with a missed call, the caller identified himself as Arabali alias Asgar Ashraf Mulla, 23, also from West Bengal.

The two developed a friendship and soon fell in love. On November 9, Mulla reportedly popped the question to Mona. Mulla told her to come to Barasat railway station in West Bengal. The girl left home saying she was going to visit a friend. She waited for hours at the station, but when he did not turn up, she called him. Mulla finally reached Barasat station and took her Sialda.

Mulla told Mona that they would stay for a few days at his uncle’s place in Sialda and then would leave for Mumbai, where they would get married. On November 13, Mulla brought Mona to Mumbai and introduced her to one Meena, who runs a prostitution racket. Mona was raped by about 16 people on several occasions at different places, the police said.

Mulla warned her against revealing her sexual abuse, said an officer from the Dongri police station.

We raided a building in Dongri on November 18 after receiving a tip-off that it was being used to run a prostitution racket. We nabbed the victim, Meena and Mulla. The victim then narrated her ordeal to us, after which we sent her to the Dongri children’s home,” the officer said. The police are checking if Mulla had conned other girls in a similar way and forced them into prostitution.

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MAH-MUM-wrong-number-lands-minor-in-brothel-2583549.html

Related articles
Nov22

Lady death abroad reveals home truth

Posted on by
Lady death abroad reveals home truth

Fake passport holds up body in Saudi Arabia

Darjeeling, Nov. 21: The death of a young Panthabari woman in Saudi Arabia has brought to fore the existence of a racket that sends people from the Darjeeling hills to Arab countries on fake Nepali passports.

Anu Darzi, a mother of three in her late twenties, had died in the oil-rich Kingdom eight months ago. But her body couldn’t be brought home as she had gone to Saudi Arabia on a fake Nepali passport.

In Saudi Arabia, Darzi was known by the name Ratna Kumari Chand, a resident of Dailekh in Nepal. “She was sent to Saudi Arabia on a Nepal passport. The photograph on the passport was hers, but the name and the address were those of Ratna Kumari Chand. There is a spurt in the use of fake passports by agents who send people abroad,” said Rangu Shouria, the chairperson of the Siliguri-based Kanchenjungha Uddhar Kendra.

Shouria was speaking at a seminar on human trafficking here on Friday. The conference was organised by Mankind in Action for Rural Growth (MARG) and the Goa-based Anyay Rahit Zindagi.

“Darzi was from Panthabari near Mirik. Her husband Bijay Mazumdar, who breaks stone on the riverbed in the Tarabari-Panthabari belt, was told in March this year by an unknown person that his wife had died in Saudi Arabia. However, we have not been able to get her body till date. We got to hear that she had probably been murdered on the night of February 28,” said Milan Chhetri with the Kendra.

The Siliguri-based organisation has not been able to help much as officially Darzi was not an Indian citizen in the eyes of the Saudi officials.

“We even went to Nepal and with the help of an NGO, Maiti Nepal, met government officials there. The problem lies in the fact that one Ratna Kumari Chand is alive in Dailekh. Her husband Bhim Bahadur Chand is also alive. Darzi’s husband had been mentioned as Bhim Bahadur Chand in the passport. For obvious reasons, the Saudi authorities wouldn’t send the body to India,” said Chhetri.

Darzi’s family in India hasn’t been able to do much. “The husband has lodged an FIR with Darjeeling police but Darzi’s agent Vikram Rai, who stays at Panitanki (a border town along the Indo-Nepal border near Kakarivitta ) is untraceable,” said Chhetri.

The Kanchenjungha Uddhar Kendra simply hopes that Darzi’s body will be handed over to her family members.

The incident has highlighted how the use of fake Nepalese passport is rampant. “Actually, a group of around 12 people had gone abroad using fake passports. One of them managed to come back seven days ago but the rest are still untraceable,” said Shouria.

People in the hills are assured of a passport and visa free of cost by the agents. The people who dream of a decent living in the Arab countries are also given anything between Rs10,000 and Rs 20,000 before they fly abroad from Nepal.

“The victims are told that the amount would be deducted from their salaries once they get jobs abroad. They do not get any help if they land in trouble, as the passports are bogus. People must stop thinking that just because someone managed to go and return home using such passports, everything is fine,” said Shouria.

Nirnay John Chhetri of MARG said a lot of people from the hills were being trafficked. “Since there is only one rehabilitation home for the three districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar in Cooch Behar, we are facing a lot of problems in arranging accommodation for the rescued people.”

The case was handed over to the CID on August 25, an officer of the Mirik police station said. Ratnakumari Chand was the name mentioned in the FIR. Darjeeling police superintendent, Anant Kumar, said the police had come across such cases. “We have sent a report to the CID on fake passport rackets and also on this particular case. We are keeping a watch on the situation,” Kumar said.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111122/jsp/siliguri/story_14782388.jsp

 

Related articles
Nov21

12th India-Bangladesh Home Secretary Level talks Conclude

Posted on by
12th India-Bangladesh Home Secretary Level talks Conclude

The 12th meeting of the Home Secretaries between India and Bangladesh was concluded at New Delhi today. The Indian delegation was led by Mr. R.K. Singh, Union Home Secretary while the Bangladesh delegation was led by Mr. Monzur Hossain.

Both sides seriously took into cognizance the menace of human trafficking, particularly women and children along Indo-Bangladesh border. Both sides agreed that the two Task Forces under the respective Ministries need to meet on a regular basis for better coordination aiming to combating this social menace.

Nov21

SEX RACKET busted, 13 held

Posted on by
SEX RACKET busted, 13 held
RACKET BUSTED IN INDORE

RACKET BUSTED IN INDORE

THE FREE PRESS

OUR STAFF REPORTER Indore Police on Sunday busted a sex racket being operated from a beauty parlour on MG Road and arrested 13 persons, including six girls. A married couple was running the racket from the parlour.

Crime branch sleuths had received information that ‘Awesome Beauty and Massage Parlour’located in front of Treasure Island is running a sex racket under the guise of ‘salon’. A joint team of ‘We Care for You’wing and the Crime branch laid a trap to bust the racket. A plaincloth policeman reached the parlour as a prosspective customer. The parlour operators asked ‘the costumer’to deposit Rs 1500 for the service. Once confirmed that the flesh trade is being operated, the cop signaled the police team, which raided the parlour and arrested 13 persons.

Seven boys— Piyush Verma, Deepak Rajoriya, Sonu Soni, Devendra Dube, Vishal Sharma, Anurag and Baljeet— were arrested from the parlour and handed over to Tukoganj police while six female accused to Mahila thana.

Crime branch sleuths said that Piyush Verma along with his wife Usha alias Gudiya was operating the racket. ‘All the girls nabbed from the parlour where outsiders. They were hired by the couple for running the flesh trade,’the sleuths added. The parlour was famous as Gudiya Madams.

The Tukoganj police knew about the sex racket but did not act against it, sources claimed. They stated that the parlour was raided previously also for the same crime and was shut. But, it opened again and began the flesh trade some three months back.

http://www.freepressjournal.in/news/33073-SEX-RACKET–busted–13-held.html