Unrest in West Bengal fuels human trafficking in Capital

The indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in the northern West Bengal has started to fuel the flesh trade in the state.

Last week, Delhi Police rescued a 14-year-old girl, student from a reputed school in Darjeeling who was enticed through money by a man through a social networking site to work for him. Later, she was transported to Delhi and pushed into prostitution.

The girl, a Class 9 student, who was rescued by the Delhi Police and NGO Shaktivahini in a joint operation from a hideout in south Delhi's Vasant Vihar, has told police that over a period of week when she was kept in confinement, the 24-year-old man who stays near her residence in their native village, had lured her to the national capital, repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

The matter came to light when the police received a tip off that family members of a girl have filed an FIR at the local police station in West Bengal alleging that their daughter has been kidnapped.

"An FIR under IPC sections 363 (punishment for kidnapping) and 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted person) was registered at their local police station. Local police received tip odd that the girl had travelled to Delhi after which a raid was conducted at the suspected hideout and the minor was rescued." said a senior police officer.

The girl told police that she had been threatened by the man not to disclose her ordeal to any stranger. Keeping in mind the financial condition of her family and the ongoing unrest in her city, she agreed.