12-year-old Bangladeshi girl, Victim of Human Trafficking and Sexual Abuse by Over 200 Men in Mumbai, Rescued
12-year-old Bangladeshi girl, Victim of Human Trafficking and Sexual Abuse by Over 200 Men in Mumbai, Rescued.
Bangladeshi girl, 12, rescued from sex racket in Maharashtra says 200 men abused her
A 12-year-old Bangladeshi girl, who ran away from home due to fear of her parents, was rescued from a human trafficking ring in Naigaon, Mumbai. As per her statement given at a juvenile detention centre, she was first trafficked to Nadiad in Gujarat, where she suffered sexual abuse. She endured horrific sexual abuse by over 200 men over a period of three months.
The rescue operation, on July 26, involved NGOs Exodus Road India Foundation and Harmony Foundation, assisting the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police. Ten people have been arrested in connection with the case so far.
Police officials also said the girl may have been given hormonal injections to induce premature puberty, and sedatives to keep her from running away
Those arrested after the Palghar raid include main accused Mohammad Khalid Abdul Bapari (33), who allegedly trafficked the victims to various cities; and Juber Harun Sheikh (38) and Shamim Gafar Sardar (39), also alleged to be agents. Efforts are on to unravel a wider racket. MBVV police chief Niket Kaushik said teams have been dispatched to various places in the country.
As per NGOs observation, this child’s ordeal is not a solitary tragedy. “Behind every such rescue,” he said, “is a child who wasn’t heard; a child failed first by those meant to protect her, and then by a society that only reacts when it’s too late.” When parents, often with good intentions, wield strictness, they can unknowingly build walls where bridges are needed, he added.
An Activist said: “I have often seen minor girls begging in Vashi and Belapur areas, who are often stolen as babies from villages, brought to cities and then exploited. They are handled by one or two elderly women who also push them into prostitution. They are even administered hormonal injections so that they attain puberty earlier
