From baby-sitting to prostitution in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Picture this: A small investment of Rs 7,000 per month, some manipulations, and return of anywhere between Rs 5000- Rs 10,000 per day! How would you like this as a business proposition? But before lapping it up, we are talking about the thriving trade of human trafficking in Punjab which the police busted in Ludhiana.

Nisha (not her real name), 20, was taken ‘on contract’ from Delhi for household chores but was forced into prostitution. Two pimps Pradeep Kumar and Sher Singh Bhatia, housed her in a hotel and earned upto Rs 2,000 each from her customers. Their earnings touched Rs 10,000 a day.  The police have arrested five persons, including the wife of Pradeep. However, the hotel owner is absconding.

Ludhiana SSP Narinder Pal Singh said there are 40-50 more such girls in the city being forced into prostitution and they came from places like Delhi and Mumbai. Nisha was hired by a Delhi-based woman, Meena for babysitting.

After a few months, Meena started lending her ‘on contract’ for  around Rs 7000 per month. Nisha would return after the ‘contract’ period expired. Nisha told the police that she had been into this business for about three months when the Ludhiana-based Pradeep took her from Delhi and brought her to a local hotel.

Nisha said initially she resisted the physical assaults but was intimidated by Pradeep and Sher Singh. She added that the duo confiscated her earnings. The SSP said the police would be conducting further raids in Delhi and other places in Ludhiana.