Newsroom24x7 Staff

New Delhi: With the arrest of three persons, the Delhi Police has busted a human trafficking racket and solved a rape case involving a young girl, who was lured from West Bengal with promise of marriage, but was being forced into prostitution.

Those arrested in this case have been identified as Shahjahan Molliya, alias Bapi (27), resident of Majampur Uttarpara, North 24 Pargana, West Bengal, Nafees, alias Sameer (28 years) and an accused woman (27), both resident of Kabir Nagar in Delhi.

On the intervening night of 23 and 24 May, at about 12:10 am, a PCR call was received informing that a woman was being beaten by a couple of boys. The Welcome Police station responded promptly and sub-inspector Ombir Singh along with the staff reached the spot – 2nd Floor of H. No. C-16/2, Gali No. 16, Kabir Nagar, Delhi and found a girl, about 19 years old, who was extremely scared and unable to communicate as she knew neither Hindi nor English.

The investigating officer, accompanied by a lady constable, took the girl to GTB Hospital and got her medical examination conducted on 24 May. With the help of an NGO, the victim’s counselling was also done. She told the NGO voluneers that her father had died and she was living with her mother, who worked as a tailor at her native village. She also informed them that she had been given the mobile number of Bapi (Shahjahan) by one of her neighbors.

The victim further stated that she had been told by her neighbour that Bapi is a good boy and will marry her. So she started talking to him. She was initially reluctant but left with him on 19 May, when he promised to marry her and forced her to come to Delhi. After they arrived at the Old Delhi Railway Station on 20 May, Bapi took her to a Hotel near Jama Masjid and during the night he forced her into a physical relationship on the pretext of marriage. Next morning he took the girl to one Raju’s house, where they stayed for two nights. During this period, Bapi, Raju and his wife tried to force her into prostitution. Raju even tried to build a physical relationship with her and she was slapped and beaten up when she refused. After that Bapi brought her to another house, that of a woman, at Welcome in Delhi, where Bapi, the accused woman, Sameer and Irshad (a friend ofSameer) tried to force her into pprostitution and as she resisted, she was again beaten up. When she talked to a neighbour over telephone, she was advised to take to prostitution. At this stage, Irshad also tried to molest her.

According to Veenu Bansal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, North-East District: Delhi, the victim’s statement was recorded with the help of the NGO and an interpreter and a case under Sections 323/354/366/368/370/376/120-B of IPC was registered at Welcome Police station on 24 May.

The Police team that busted the traffickers’ gang comprised of Inspector Prashnat Kumar SHO-Welcome, sub-inspectors Manish Kumar and Gunjan, Assistant sub-inspector Bhisham Rana, Head Constables Jai Parkash and Yogendra and Constable Ravindra

The doctor who conducted the medical examination of the girl at GTB Hospital on 24 May, confirmed signs of sexual violence. Two of the accused – Bapi and Sameer were arrested the same day. The accused woman, who was arrested on 25 May, revealed during interrogation that she is a sex worker. On further investigation, the police learnt that the traffickers’ gang had hatched a plan for trafficking innocent girls from rural areas of West Bengal by luring them on the pretext of marriage and then pushing them into prostitution.