THE HINDU
Date:25/02/2008
Andhra Pradesh - Khammam
D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao
A strong network operating from Vijayawada is said to be behind the trade
KHAMMAM: A nine-year-old girl, who went missing from a tribal village in Yellandu area surfaced at Chilakaluripet in some time ago after spending more than two long years in captivity of a gang, thanks to the initiative of a good Samaritan.
He was touched by the sordid ordeal she had gone through and the vile indignities she was subjected to by the people running a brothel at Narsaraopet. She was purchased by them for a sum of Rs 20,000 and used for attracting young clients. She was sold yet again for Rs 29,000 to another party indulged in flesh trade.
Initiative
A youth who visited her was moved by her plight and alerted the police and tribal organizations in a bid to set her free from the traffickers. The initiative taken by the NGO helped in restoring the girl to her parents in March last. But she found it difficult to stay in her village for long on account of the little acceptability in the tribal community.
The entire family, disturbed by the steady stream of visitors, deserted the village. The experience of the girl from Yellandu cannot be viewed as an isolated case. More than 6,000 tribal girls from the district were languishing in the brothels in different cities for years and nearly 30 per cent of them are under 15, according to a study conducted by an NGO- Gram Vikas.
More of such cases were reported in the Yallandu, Manuguru and Bhadrachalam. The girls from these areas were found in good number, whenever the red light area was raided in Maharashtra. Khammam is now identified as a source district for trafficking.
A network operating from Vijayawada is said to be behind the trade.
The girls from the region had a sizeable presence in the red light areas in Mumbai, Pune, Kaptur, Nagpur and other major cities.
Some girls were released from gangs in Wani in Maharashtra and 16 of them were accommodated in a shelter house in Sathupali, said Satyanarayana Reddy from Gram Vikas.
Out of 8,000 persons reported missing in the State in 2006, some 400 were children particularly girls and about 5.6 lakh women from the State were cursing their fate in 150 red light areas, according to N. Rammohan of the “Help” - another NGO working on the issue of trafficking. He wanted a wholehearted approach for rehabilitation of such girls
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Sunday, August 03, 2008
India becoming transit point for human traffickers: Minister
India becoming transit point for human traffickers: Minister
Chennai, Aug 02: India is fast becoming a transit point as well as a destination for human traffickers from Nepal, Bangladesh and other Commonwealth nations, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice K Venkatapathy said on Saturday.
"A large number of children and women are reported missing every year in India. About 1,34,000 women are reported missing in India between 1996 and 2001. Trafficking has acquired grave dimensions with penetration of organised crime syndicates," the minister said.
He was speaking at a seminar on 'Consultation on methods to combat trafficking of children and women for commercial sexual exploitation in Tamil Nadu' here.
Venkatapathy said factors like underdevelopment, privatisation, liberalisation and commercialisation of agriculture had paved way for increase in trafficking of children and women in India.
Madras High Court Chief Justice A K Ganguly said while 30 per cent children enter prostitution after being raped, two per cent enter due to natural disasters which increase vulnerability of women and girls.
"Human trafficking has become major money making business next to arms and drug trafficking. Illiteracy coupled with poverty is the main reason, making women and children fall prey to trafficking," he said.
Tamil Nadu DGP K P Jain said the state, which had recently figured in high supply zone for traffickers, had constituted a special cell to check trafficking.
"We have appointed nodal officers in all the districts to monitor the trafficking. Only through sensitising the society we can bring an end to this menace," he added.
Chennai, Aug 02: India is fast becoming a transit point as well as a destination for human traffickers from Nepal, Bangladesh and other Commonwealth nations, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice K Venkatapathy said on Saturday.
"A large number of children and women are reported missing every year in India. About 1,34,000 women are reported missing in India between 1996 and 2001. Trafficking has acquired grave dimensions with penetration of organised crime syndicates," the minister said.
He was speaking at a seminar on 'Consultation on methods to combat trafficking of children and women for commercial sexual exploitation in Tamil Nadu' here.
Venkatapathy said factors like underdevelopment, privatisation, liberalisation and commercialisation of agriculture had paved way for increase in trafficking of children and women in India.
Madras High Court Chief Justice A K Ganguly said while 30 per cent children enter prostitution after being raped, two per cent enter due to natural disasters which increase vulnerability of women and girls.
"Human trafficking has become major money making business next to arms and drug trafficking. Illiteracy coupled with poverty is the main reason, making women and children fall prey to trafficking," he said.
Tamil Nadu DGP K P Jain said the state, which had recently figured in high supply zone for traffickers, had constituted a special cell to check trafficking.
"We have appointed nodal officers in all the districts to monitor the trafficking. Only through sensitising the society we can bring an end to this menace," he added.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Accused in human trafficking case acquitted
Aug 2008, 0117 hrs IST,TNN
AHMEDABAD: A city sessions court on Thursday acquitted Seema Khan along with the staff members of Hotel Classic Gold, Navrangpura in connection with a case of human trafficking. The additional sessions Judge IR Dave acquitted 16 persons holding that the prosecution failed to prove its case. While delivering a verdict in this April 2005 case, the judge also observed that the government needs to appoint a special investigating officer under Section 13 of the Immoral Traffic (prevention) Act to probe such cases. Also that the investigating officer didn’t remain present at relevant time during the trial, besides the police officer, who is now suspended in the fake encounter case, DySP NK Amin could not show the exact location of the room in the hotel, said her lawyer JM Vasu. Khan was arrested this year from Madhya Pradesh for violating the condition of bail granted to her by the sessions court.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Police sting ends career of prostitution kingpin
Police sting ends career of prostitution kingpin
29 May 2008, 0553 hrs IST,TNN
CHENNAI: The anti-vice squad (AVS), a wing of the city police, has arrested Mohan alias Mohan Reddy (43), the kingpin of a prostitution racket operating out of Valasaravakkam and Virugambakkam in the city. Reddy, whose illegal network stretched across the four southern states, was caught in a sting operation at Koyambedu when he supplied a woman to a police decoy. According to sources, Reddy, a film distributor, engaged thousands of woman — some of them film actresses and junior artists — and ran brothels in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The AVS team also rescued two AP woman and seized an Indica car (TN 01 V 1643), a Bajaj motorbike (TN 10 M 4210) and a few high-end mobile phones from Reddy. "He had been supplying actresses and young women to VIPs for over five years. There are many prostitution cases pending against him, including two with the AVS. He was absconding for some time and we caught him using a decoy on Tuesday," AVS inspector Udhayakumar told TOI. Udhayakumar said Reddy even used his own house on Ist Main Road in Alwar Tiru Nagar as a brothel. Reddy charged between Rs 5,000 and a few lakh rupees for the woman he supplied, sources said. "He mostly brought woman from Andhra Pradesh. He has distributed films and has close connections with both Tollywood and Kollywood. We have information regarding his connection with many actresses," the AVS inspector said. After the arrest of the pimp Kannada Prasad in Feb, 2007, Mohan Reddy was the second big target of the AVS. "Reddy is also a high-end pimp, who used all sorts of methods to lure woman into prostitution. Both men had good connection with the film world and supplied actresses to preferred customers. Both were able to supply woman in any southern state by just making a few phone calls," another police official said. The police is now tracking Reddy's network of brothels. The pimp was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody
29 May 2008, 0553 hrs IST,TNN
CHENNAI: The anti-vice squad (AVS), a wing of the city police, has arrested Mohan alias Mohan Reddy (43), the kingpin of a prostitution racket operating out of Valasaravakkam and Virugambakkam in the city. Reddy, whose illegal network stretched across the four southern states, was caught in a sting operation at Koyambedu when he supplied a woman to a police decoy. According to sources, Reddy, a film distributor, engaged thousands of woman — some of them film actresses and junior artists — and ran brothels in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The AVS team also rescued two AP woman and seized an Indica car (TN 01 V 1643), a Bajaj motorbike (TN 10 M 4210) and a few high-end mobile phones from Reddy. "He had been supplying actresses and young women to VIPs for over five years. There are many prostitution cases pending against him, including two with the AVS. He was absconding for some time and we caught him using a decoy on Tuesday," AVS inspector Udhayakumar told TOI. Udhayakumar said Reddy even used his own house on Ist Main Road in Alwar Tiru Nagar as a brothel. Reddy charged between Rs 5,000 and a few lakh rupees for the woman he supplied, sources said. "He mostly brought woman from Andhra Pradesh. He has distributed films and has close connections with both Tollywood and Kollywood. We have information regarding his connection with many actresses," the AVS inspector said. After the arrest of the pimp Kannada Prasad in Feb, 2007, Mohan Reddy was the second big target of the AVS. "Reddy is also a high-end pimp, who used all sorts of methods to lure woman into prostitution. Both men had good connection with the film world and supplied actresses to preferred customers. Both were able to supply woman in any southern state by just making a few phone calls," another police official said. The police is now tracking Reddy's network of brothels. The pimp was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody
Saturday, July 26, 2008
SP stresses economic independence of women
Date:25/07/2008
Kadapa SP stresses economic independence of women
KADAPA: Women, irrespective of their religion and caste, can lead lives with confidence and earn respect when they become economically self-reliant, Kadapa Superintendent of Police Mahesh M. Bhagwat said on Thursday.
Speaking at an awareness programme on ‘Save the girl child’ at 30 Andhra Battalion NCC campus here, the SP said it was an offence to perform amniocentesis test to determine the gender of a foetus.
KADAPA: Women, irrespective of their religion and caste, can lead lives with confidence and earn respect when they become economically self-reliant, Kadapa Superintendent of Police Mahesh M. Bhagwat said on Thursday.
Speaking at an awareness programme on ‘Save the girl child’ at 30 Andhra Battalion NCC campus here, the SP said it was an offence to perform amniocentesis test to determine the gender of a foetus.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Girls sold as helps for Rs 2,000 in capital, one held
Girls sold as helps for Rs 2,000 in capital, one held
23 Jul 2008, 0303 hrs IST, Medha Chaturvedi,TNN
NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, a 25-year-old man was arrested by the IP Estate police on charges of trafficking young girls from tribal areas of Jharkhand to Delhi, luring them with promises of well-paying jobs. Accused Bhim reportedly supplied girls to a placement agency dealing in domestic helps in Shakurpur where he sold them for as little as Rs 2000. The agency, Birsa Bhagwan Tribal Society of India, registered under the Societies Act as an NGO, doubled as a placement agency and was allegedly involved in trafficking girls from Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa. The racket came to light when the mother of one of the girls Bhim had taken, a 10-year-old from a village in Jharkhand, never heard from her daughter after sending her to Delhi to work three years ago. The girl's mother approached Bachpan Bachao Aayog, which put her through to CWC which initiated the process of tracing the girl. "When we saw that police in Ranchi were not taking any action on our complaint, we followed Bhim to Delhi when he came to pick up another girl. We reached the Shakurpur placement agency and found that on the ground floor, they were running an NGO and the first floor was an apartment turned into a placement agency. We found several young girls there who had been promised jobs, but where they actually ended up, nobody knew. There were no proper records of the girls either," said Naresh Sengar, national secretary, Bachpan Bachao Aayog. He added that the 10-year-old girl they were looking for could not be traced in the records. "We had seven other women who had come with us to look for their respective children. All returned empty-handed," said Sengar. According to a police official, Bhim was arrested and charged with trafficking minors and abduction. He revealed the name of his accomplice, one Munni, who was now absconding. The owner of the placement agency and his brother were also arrested. Sengar alleged that the children were traded and trafficked like commodities and the "current rates" were around Rs 4,000 per child. "They are promised salaries of Rs 10,000 a month as lures. But the children end up either in the flesh trade or as domestic helps at salaries as low as Rs 1,200 a month. They are not paid for months on end, so that they don't leave. CWC helped us nab the criminals and thus we were able to rescue the children. However, search for the other children are still on," said Sengar.
23 Jul 2008, 0303 hrs IST, Medha Chaturvedi,TNN
NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, a 25-year-old man was arrested by the IP Estate police on charges of trafficking young girls from tribal areas of Jharkhand to Delhi, luring them with promises of well-paying jobs. Accused Bhim reportedly supplied girls to a placement agency dealing in domestic helps in Shakurpur where he sold them for as little as Rs 2000. The agency, Birsa Bhagwan Tribal Society of India, registered under the Societies Act as an NGO, doubled as a placement agency and was allegedly involved in trafficking girls from Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa. The racket came to light when the mother of one of the girls Bhim had taken, a 10-year-old from a village in Jharkhand, never heard from her daughter after sending her to Delhi to work three years ago. The girl's mother approached Bachpan Bachao Aayog, which put her through to CWC which initiated the process of tracing the girl. "When we saw that police in Ranchi were not taking any action on our complaint, we followed Bhim to Delhi when he came to pick up another girl. We reached the Shakurpur placement agency and found that on the ground floor, they were running an NGO and the first floor was an apartment turned into a placement agency. We found several young girls there who had been promised jobs, but where they actually ended up, nobody knew. There were no proper records of the girls either," said Naresh Sengar, national secretary, Bachpan Bachao Aayog. He added that the 10-year-old girl they were looking for could not be traced in the records. "We had seven other women who had come with us to look for their respective children. All returned empty-handed," said Sengar. According to a police official, Bhim was arrested and charged with trafficking minors and abduction. He revealed the name of his accomplice, one Munni, who was now absconding. The owner of the placement agency and his brother were also arrested. Sengar alleged that the children were traded and trafficked like commodities and the "current rates" were around Rs 4,000 per child. "They are promised salaries of Rs 10,000 a month as lures. But the children end up either in the flesh trade or as domestic helps at salaries as low as Rs 1,200 a month. They are not paid for months on end, so that they don't leave. CWC helped us nab the criminals and thus we were able to rescue the children. However, search for the other children are still on," said Sengar.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
The Times of India -Breaking news, views. reviews, cricket from across India
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
21 Jul 2008, 0204 hrs IST, Abantika Ghosh,TNN
These are shocking statistics that belie the close to 10% growth rate of the national economy and tell the story of a community that isn't. As per the law.
More than 41% women sex workers in the Capital's GB Road enter the profession because of sheer poverty, 39% of their own free will. Only 50% use condoms and the social welfare department says despite their best efforts health and hygiene standards cannot be improved too much beyond the occasional anonymous checks by mobile vans as the law does not recognise the existence of these women.
All the anti-trafficking laws notwithstanding, almost the entire population of GB Road comprises women, who have come from other states, Andhra Pradesh topping the list with 28.7% sex workers hailing from that state. These are the findings of a first-of-its-kind survey of Delhi's sex workers done by the Delhi Commission for Women.
The study - 400 commercial sex workers from G B Road were studied and inputs were also taken from the rescued women in government homes even if their numbers were not included in the sample size - aimed at a need assessment of Delhi's sex workers and their children and also to draw up a demographic and health profile of the neglected community in order to draw up a comprehensive policy for prevention of trafficking and incidence of HIV-AIDS.
The study found that the work is mainly conducted through the kotha malkins who pockets a large percentage of the income so that for an average sex worker the monthly income is quite low, 72.5% earn between Rs 3,000-5,000 and 20.7% earn more than Rs 5,000.
State social welfare minister Yoganand Shastri said: "The study which is the first of its kind, will help us get a perspective on the extent of the problem and formulate policies accordingly. But there are inherent dichotomies in the system that make things difficult.
For one, it is only when a woman rescued and taken to Nirmal Chhaya that we can really help them because the law does not recognise the profession at all. We do undertake surreptitious checks with the MITWA mobile vans, but that does not always suffice."
Commenting about the low condom usage and dismal awareness about STDs (less than 50% know about them and 46.5% are infected), Shastri said: "The Delhi State Aids Control Society (DSACS) had put up condom vending machines in all major houses in the area and they are kept well-supplied. Unless the legal constraints go there is not much more that we can do about it."
A whopping 57.5% of respondents admitted to substance abuse with smoking being the most popular one, followed by alcohol, heroin and marijuana. 23.7% complained of exploitation, 54.4% of them held the police responsible.
Interestingly, more than 85% of these women have some sort of identity proof like ration card, voter I-card or even passport which they procure with help from cops. While more than 60% of women surveyed have children, only 40% of them go to school, a figure that commission officials say bodes ill for the objective of preventing second generation entry into the profession
The Times of India -Breaking news, views. reviews, cricket from across India
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
21 Jul 2008, 0204 hrs IST, Abantika Ghosh,TNN
These are shocking statistics that belie the close to 10% growth rate of the national economy and tell the story of a community that isn't. As per the law.
More than 41% women sex workers in the Capital's GB Road enter the profession because of sheer poverty, 39% of their own free will. Only 50% use condoms and the social welfare department says despite their best efforts health and hygiene standards cannot be improved too much beyond the occasional anonymous checks by mobile vans as the law does not recognise the existence of these women.
All the anti-trafficking laws notwithstanding, almost the entire population of GB Road comprises women, who have come from other states, Andhra Pradesh topping the list with 28.7% sex workers hailing from that state. These are the findings of a first-of-its-kind survey of Delhi's sex workers done by the Delhi Commission for Women.
The study - 400 commercial sex workers from G B Road were studied and inputs were also taken from the rescued women in government homes even if their numbers were not included in the sample size - aimed at a need assessment of Delhi's sex workers and their children and also to draw up a demographic and health profile of the neglected community in order to draw up a comprehensive policy for prevention of trafficking and incidence of HIV-AIDS.
The study found that the work is mainly conducted through the kotha malkins who pockets a large percentage of the income so that for an average sex worker the monthly income is quite low, 72.5% earn between Rs 3,000-5,000 and 20.7% earn more than Rs 5,000.
State social welfare minister Yoganand Shastri said: "The study which is the first of its kind, will help us get a perspective on the extent of the problem and formulate policies accordingly. But there are inherent dichotomies in the system that make things difficult.
For one, it is only when a woman rescued and taken to Nirmal Chhaya that we can really help them because the law does not recognise the profession at all. We do undertake surreptitious checks with the MITWA mobile vans, but that does not always suffice."
Commenting about the low condom usage and dismal awareness about STDs (less than 50% know about them and 46.5% are infected), Shastri said: "The Delhi State Aids Control Society (DSACS) had put up condom vending machines in all major houses in the area and they are kept well-supplied. Unless the legal constraints go there is not much more that we can do about it."
A whopping 57.5% of respondents admitted to substance abuse with smoking being the most popular one, followed by alcohol, heroin and marijuana. 23.7% complained of exploitation, 54.4% of them held the police responsible.
Interestingly, more than 85% of these women have some sort of identity proof like ration card, voter I-card or even passport which they procure with help from cops. While more than 60% of women surveyed have children, only 40% of them go to school, a figure that commission officials say bodes ill for the objective of preventing second generation entry into the profession
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Flesh Trade industry Flourishes- watch Video
India's national commission for women or NCW has expressed concern over rise in women trafficking in Siliguri, as unscrupulous agents trap women promising them jobs. Driven by poverty, the lure of job and better wages is too tempting to resist. But most women end up in brothels and become victims of...
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Follow the link
'India must criminalise buying of sex, anti-trafficking laws'
Dharam Shourie, Press Trust Of India
New York, June 03, 2008
India should criminalise buying of sex and strengthen its anti-trafficking laws, a global rights watchdog has said.
In a statement issued on the eve of UN General Assembly debate on steps needed to stop trafficking, Equality Now on Monday urged Indian government to take steps for early passage of amendments to the 1956 Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), which would involve a crackdown on buyers of sex.
The desired changes, it stressed, would be a positive step in stopping trafficking in women and children.
The organisation regretted that the amendments, which recognised sexual exploitation as inherent in prostitution, were "languishing for two years with no end in sight," mostly because of ill-advised resistance from HIV/AIDS lobby.
The amendments, it said, would decriminalise women in prostitution but criminalise the "real and often invisible perpetrators" the buyers of prostitution, pimps and brothel owners.
The HIV/AIDS lobby mistakenly believed that targeting demand would curtail use of condom to prevent the spread of the disease, it said.
"The grim reality, however, is that women in prostitution are often unable to negotiate condom use and are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. As one Indian woman named Beenu, who is in prostitution says, 'Few people agree to use a condom. And if they don't, I cannot force them.'"
The most effective way to protect women like Beenu would be by curtailing the commercial sex industry, Equality Now stressed.
Referring to UN debate, the organisation warned that too much had been said about trafficking and much-needed money was spent in talking about it. However, little else had been done to end the scourge.
"Extensive rhetoric has been generated by UN conferences like the Vienna Forum (earlier this year) and standards have already been set in international treaties like the UN Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, adopted in 2000.
"But what is lacking is the political will to curb the multi-billion dollar industry," it added and called on the States to make specific commitments, enact strong laws and support grassroots anti-trafficking groups.
The global body argued sex trafficking disproportionately affected women and girls who constitute 80 per cent of the victims.
A majority of them are trafficked into the commercial sex trade.
The demand for prostitution, it said, is the driving force for the trafficking of women and girls for sexual purposes.
Prostitution preys on the most vulnerable women and children who are poor, of colour, from "lower" castes, and/or immigrants, it emphasised.
Instead of controlling prostitution, legalisation has led to a "disastrous outbreak of increased exploitation of women in the sex trade, sex trafficking and other related crimes," Taina Bien-Aim Executive Director of Equality Now said.
"In fact the German government and the Mayor of Amsterdam (where prostitution is legal) on separate occasions noted that their prostitution laws have not been effective in boosting transparency in brothels. Amsterdam is now working to shut down a third of its brothels," the organisation said
New York, June 03, 2008
India should criminalise buying of sex and strengthen its anti-trafficking laws, a global rights watchdog has said.
In a statement issued on the eve of UN General Assembly debate on steps needed to stop trafficking, Equality Now on Monday urged Indian government to take steps for early passage of amendments to the 1956 Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), which would involve a crackdown on buyers of sex.
The desired changes, it stressed, would be a positive step in stopping trafficking in women and children.
The organisation regretted that the amendments, which recognised sexual exploitation as inherent in prostitution, were "languishing for two years with no end in sight," mostly because of ill-advised resistance from HIV/AIDS lobby.
The amendments, it said, would decriminalise women in prostitution but criminalise the "real and often invisible perpetrators" the buyers of prostitution, pimps and brothel owners.
The HIV/AIDS lobby mistakenly believed that targeting demand would curtail use of condom to prevent the spread of the disease, it said.
"The grim reality, however, is that women in prostitution are often unable to negotiate condom use and are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. As one Indian woman named Beenu, who is in prostitution says, 'Few people agree to use a condom. And if they don't, I cannot force them.'"
The most effective way to protect women like Beenu would be by curtailing the commercial sex industry, Equality Now stressed.
Referring to UN debate, the organisation warned that too much had been said about trafficking and much-needed money was spent in talking about it. However, little else had been done to end the scourge.
"Extensive rhetoric has been generated by UN conferences like the Vienna Forum (earlier this year) and standards have already been set in international treaties like the UN Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, adopted in 2000.
"But what is lacking is the political will to curb the multi-billion dollar industry," it added and called on the States to make specific commitments, enact strong laws and support grassroots anti-trafficking groups.
The global body argued sex trafficking disproportionately affected women and girls who constitute 80 per cent of the victims.
A majority of them are trafficked into the commercial sex trade.
The demand for prostitution, it said, is the driving force for the trafficking of women and girls for sexual purposes.
Prostitution preys on the most vulnerable women and children who are poor, of colour, from "lower" castes, and/or immigrants, it emphasised.
Instead of controlling prostitution, legalisation has led to a "disastrous outbreak of increased exploitation of women in the sex trade, sex trafficking and other related crimes," Taina Bien-Aim Executive Director of Equality Now said.
"In fact the German government and the Mayor of Amsterdam (where prostitution is legal) on separate occasions noted that their prostitution laws have not been effective in boosting transparency in brothels. Amsterdam is now working to shut down a third of its brothels," the organisation said
Monday, June 30, 2008
Three held on charge of human trafficking
THE HINDU
Date:30/06/2008
Andhra Pradesh -
Kadapa Three held on charge of human trafficking
Special Correspondent
KADAPA: Rayachoti police arrested Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah, Jeelani and Mahaboob Basha and remanded them on charges of resorting to human trafficking, Kadapa Superintendent of Police Mahesh M. Bhagwat said on Sunday. The police are making efforts to apprehend Nazeer, who was allegedly involved in trafficking of women to Kuwait in the past.
A 40-year-old woman victim (whose name the police withheld) of Gorlamudivedu village in Rayachoty had approached Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah collected Rs. 40,000 from her promising to send her to Kuwait as a maid servant. He sent her to Kuwait through an unauthorised agent Jeelani of Rayachoty and his brother Mahaboob Basha, the SP told a press conference. In Kuwait, Nazeer, another brother of Jeelani, sold the victim to a brothel house, where she was confined for 10 days along with some other women, he stated. The victim managed to escape through a bathroom window of the brothel house and approached the police station and were jailed as they did not possess relevant documents, he said. Complaint lodged
The victim and another woman of Rayachoti and three women of West Godavari contacted the Indian Embassy and they were sent back to India, Mr. Bhagwat stated. The victim lodged a complaint and on its basis, Rayachoti Urban police registered a case under section 420 IPC, section 24 (1) AP Immigration Act, sections 3, 4 and 5 of Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act against Jeelani, Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah, Mahaboob Basha of Rayachoty and Nazeer, resident of Kuwait, the SP said.
He appealed to people not to approach unauthorised agents. People aspiring to go abroad should obtain insurance from Pravasa Bharathi Bima Yojana. They could contact the Indian Embassy in Kuwait if they encountered problems
Date:30/06/2008
Andhra Pradesh -
Kadapa Three held on charge of human trafficking
Special Correspondent
KADAPA: Rayachoti police arrested Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah, Jeelani and Mahaboob Basha and remanded them on charges of resorting to human trafficking, Kadapa Superintendent of Police Mahesh M. Bhagwat said on Sunday. The police are making efforts to apprehend Nazeer, who was allegedly involved in trafficking of women to Kuwait in the past.
A 40-year-old woman victim (whose name the police withheld) of Gorlamudivedu village in Rayachoty had approached Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah collected Rs. 40,000 from her promising to send her to Kuwait as a maid servant. He sent her to Kuwait through an unauthorised agent Jeelani of Rayachoty and his brother Mahaboob Basha, the SP told a press conference. In Kuwait, Nazeer, another brother of Jeelani, sold the victim to a brothel house, where she was confined for 10 days along with some other women, he stated. The victim managed to escape through a bathroom window of the brothel house and approached the police station and were jailed as they did not possess relevant documents, he said. Complaint lodged
The victim and another woman of Rayachoti and three women of West Godavari contacted the Indian Embassy and they were sent back to India, Mr. Bhagwat stated. The victim lodged a complaint and on its basis, Rayachoti Urban police registered a case under section 420 IPC, section 24 (1) AP Immigration Act, sections 3, 4 and 5 of Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act against Jeelani, Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah, Mahaboob Basha of Rayachoty and Nazeer, resident of Kuwait, the SP said.
He appealed to people not to approach unauthorised agents. People aspiring to go abroad should obtain insurance from Pravasa Bharathi Bima Yojana. They could contact the Indian Embassy in Kuwait if they encountered problems
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Human Trafficking racket busted by Kadapa Police in A.P.
Human Trafficking racket busted
(three traffickers arrested).
Kadapa (A.P., India) 29/06/2008:- Brief facts of the case is one victim (Name with held) : aged 40 yrs, native of Gorlamudivedu village, Rayachoty, Approached Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah who has promised her to send to Kuwait as a maid servant. Veera Nagaiah has collected Rs.40,000/- from the victim and sent her to Kuwait through an unauthorized agent Jeelani of Rayachoty and his brother Mahaboob Basha. In Kuwait one Nazeer another brother of Jeelani has contacted the victim and sold her to a brothel house. The victim was confined in the brothel house for 10 days along with other ladies. One day the victim along with other ladies escaped through a bathroom window of the brothel house, ran away to Police station without any passports or other documents. Kuwait police sent her to jail. Subsequently with the help of Indian Embassy she along with another lady of Rayachoty, 3 more victims of West Godawari were sent back to India .
Basing on the complaint of the victim a case in Crime No.110/08, u/s 420 IPS, Sec 24 (1) AP Immigration Act, Sec 3,4,5 of PITA Act of Rayachoty (U) PS against the accused Jeelani, Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah, Mahaboob Basha of Rayachoty and Nazeer resident of Kuwait.
Rayachoty Urban C.I arrested Pasupultei Veera Nagaiah (A1), Jeelani (A2), and sent for remand. On 27-6-08 Mahaboob Basha was arrested and sent for judicial remand. Further investigation is in progress to arrest Nazeer and his associates in Kuwait . It is learnt that earlier also Jeelani and Nazeer has trafficked ladies to Kuwait .
We are alerting the citizens that not to get trapped in the human trafficking scam. Process visa papers through authorized registered immigration agent, obtain insurance from Pravasi Bharathiya Beema Yojana. In case of any problems arise in Kuwait they can immediately contact Indian Embassy in Kuwait as well as send information against bogus agents to SP, Kadapa
Fax No.08562 244967, email address: sp@kdp.appolice.gov.in
(three traffickers arrested).
Kadapa (A.P., India) 29/06/2008:- Brief facts of the case is one victim (Name with held) : aged 40 yrs, native of Gorlamudivedu village, Rayachoty, Approached Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah who has promised her to send to Kuwait as a maid servant. Veera Nagaiah has collected Rs.40,000/- from the victim and sent her to Kuwait through an unauthorized agent Jeelani of Rayachoty and his brother Mahaboob Basha. In Kuwait one Nazeer another brother of Jeelani has contacted the victim and sold her to a brothel house. The victim was confined in the brothel house for 10 days along with other ladies. One day the victim along with other ladies escaped through a bathroom window of the brothel house, ran away to Police station without any passports or other documents. Kuwait police sent her to jail. Subsequently with the help of Indian Embassy she along with another lady of Rayachoty, 3 more victims of West Godawari were sent back to India .
Basing on the complaint of the victim a case in Crime No.110/08, u/s 420 IPS, Sec 24 (1) AP Immigration Act, Sec 3,4,5 of PITA Act of Rayachoty (U) PS against the accused Jeelani, Pasupuleti Veera Nagaiah, Mahaboob Basha of Rayachoty and Nazeer resident of Kuwait.
Rayachoty Urban C.I arrested Pasupultei Veera Nagaiah (A1), Jeelani (A2), and sent for remand. On 27-6-08 Mahaboob Basha was arrested and sent for judicial remand. Further investigation is in progress to arrest Nazeer and his associates in Kuwait . It is learnt that earlier also Jeelani and Nazeer has trafficked ladies to Kuwait .
We are alerting the citizens that not to get trapped in the human trafficking scam. Process visa papers through authorized registered immigration agent, obtain insurance from Pravasi Bharathiya Beema Yojana. In case of any problems arise in Kuwait they can immediately contact Indian Embassy in Kuwait as well as send information against bogus agents to SP, Kadapa
Fax No.08562 244967, email address: sp@kdp.appolice.gov.in
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Responsibility To Curb Human Trafficking Rests On Society
Special Article from The Statesman
Illegality spread
Responsibility To Curb Human Trafficking Rests On Society
By Manjumohan Mukherjee
The movement of people from one country to another is an inevitable outcome of globalisation. According to the 2005 report of the UNFPA titled State of World Population, the number of international migrants was estimated at 17.5 crore. The major problem connected with this migration is human trafficking and smuggling. Human trafficking is a lucrative criminal activity. According to the International Labour Organisation, it can generate up to $31 billion a year, most of it from forced labour and exploitation. The trafficking and smuggling protocols, generally referred to as the Palermo protocols, came into force on 23 December 2003 and 28 January 2004, respectively. By definition, trafficking denotes the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or “receipt of persons” by threat, force, coercion, abduction and fraud. Exploitation can involve prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or slavery.
No crime
Between 800,000 and 1.2 million women and children are victims of trafficking the world over. Human trafficking is the world’s third largest illegal business, generating $9.5 billion in revenue each year. Civil society must ensure that the victims don’t suffer from any stigma. They must be brought back to the mainstream with dignity for they have committed no crime.West Bengal, along with Bihar, accounts for the maximum numbers of girls who have been trafficked into the country from abroad simply for prostitution. According to figures available till 2005, this so-called “importation of girls” has increased by nearly 67.4 per cent. The National Crime Records Bureau, which recently released its data, states that 149 cases were recorded across the country in 2005, compared to only 89 in 2004 and 46 in 2003.While Bihar tops the list with 74 such cases, accounting for nearly 49.7 per cent of the total, West Bengal stands second with 61 and accounting for 40.9 per cent of the total. According to the Indian Penal Code, if a girl below the age of 21 years is trafficked into India from any other country or the state of Jammu and Kashmir, it is considered “importation” and is punishable with up to 10 years of imprisonment.But statistics reveal that the highest number of pending cases of violence against women are those of importation. Out of the 248 persons who were arrested on charges of violence against women, only 148 could be settled by the court. In another departure from the nationwide trend, West Bengal accounts for the lowest number of rape victims who do not know the identity of the offenders. National statistics reveal that the victims in 84.6 per cent of the rape cases knew their offenders. On the contrary, only in 2.9 per cent cases in West Bengal were the offenders known to the victims. West Bengal has a porous border with its economically weak neighbours. As a result, girls are frequently trafficked into the state and forced into prostitution. While many of the victims are rescued and the offenders arrested, many cases go unreported. Most of the girls come from poor families and are lured into the trap with the promise of a lucrative job.
The major factors behind human trafficking are poverty, political instability, unexpected changes in economic or political condition, natural and man-made disasters, poor governance, advance in communication and transportation, easy profits made from exploitation, marginalisation of the poor, and lack of information about the realities and dangers of trafficking and smuggling. The administration shows little concern to tackle it seriously, allowing operators to indulge in a part-time or whole-time illegal profession with inter-state and international ramifications. Even so-called men of position are involved. For instance, the BJP MP, Babubhai Katara, was arrested for trying to smuggle a woman and a teenager to Canada. West Bengal has emerged as a major hub over the last 10 years, with 15,750 girls and women having been abducted and kidnapped in 2005. The procuring of minor girls shot up from 2.7 per cent to 13.8 per cent in 2005, and the number of girls sold to prostitution rose from 26.7 to 88 per cent.
Bengal serves as a source, transit and destination for trafficking in women and children. The state’s border with Bangladesh, Bhutan and 14 major points with Nepal in North Bengal have made it a vulnerable location. Its common boundaries with Orissa. Bihar, Jharkhand and Sikkim have made it a safe haven for traffickers. The problem of child trafficking is endemic in the districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Murshidabad, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Midnapore, Nadia, North and South 24-Parganas.Kolkata is also a nerve centre with 21 large brothels acting as active links with numerous “flying sex zones” across the country. Nearly 10 per cent of the sex workers in the city have come from Bangladesh and Nepal. The city accounts for 45.5 per cent of minor girls brought into the state. The Bengal-Bangladesh border is a key entry point. There are 14 such points from Nepal to North Bengal. The two dangerous dens in Murshidabad are located in Jalangi and Domkol. The trafficked girls are confined to the prostitution centres of North Bengal, Nadia, South 24-Parganas and Kolkata before being sent to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, and even places in Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. More than 45.5 per cent girls are trafficked through Kolkata. According to the National Human Rights Commission report, Bengal is fourth in terms of trafficking.A large number of missing cases are not reported. The children leave their homes with the knowledge of their parents. Therefore, no complaints are filed with the police. Initially, the parents don’t realise that their children are being trafficked as they are taken away with the promise of either jobs or marriage. In most of the cases those who lure these children away happen to be their own relatives or someone known to them.
Good earnings
On an average the traffickers earn Rs 25,000-30,000 on each transaction. Community policing is essential to check the menace. Roadside restaurants, hotels and dhabas are used as conduits in the network. Regular police raids are essential to arrest the culprits and rescue the victims. The registration of the names of domestic helps at the local police station must be made compulsory.It isn’t just the responsibility of the police. It is eventually society’s responsibility. And that includes the NGOs, panchayats, municipalities, magistrates, religious leaders, the media, ministry of home affairs, department of social welfare, and the department of education. Even the private sector has a vital role to play. Chambers of commerce can prepare an anti-human trafficking policy and tell their members to sign it with a commitment that they will not use any product of forced labour and also ask the vendors and clients to sign on the same document before conducting business. As poverty is the root cause, it is important to focus on micro-finance. The rural society needs to be convinced that a victim ought to be rehabilitated with due respect so that she can lead a normal life if she wishes to.The position of women and children can be strengthened through education, health and nutrition. This will give them the opportunity to lead a normal life.The writer is with the Department of Social Work, Visva-Bharati
Illegality spread
Responsibility To Curb Human Trafficking Rests On Society
By Manjumohan Mukherjee
The movement of people from one country to another is an inevitable outcome of globalisation. According to the 2005 report of the UNFPA titled State of World Population, the number of international migrants was estimated at 17.5 crore. The major problem connected with this migration is human trafficking and smuggling. Human trafficking is a lucrative criminal activity. According to the International Labour Organisation, it can generate up to $31 billion a year, most of it from forced labour and exploitation. The trafficking and smuggling protocols, generally referred to as the Palermo protocols, came into force on 23 December 2003 and 28 January 2004, respectively. By definition, trafficking denotes the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or “receipt of persons” by threat, force, coercion, abduction and fraud. Exploitation can involve prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or slavery.
No crime
Between 800,000 and 1.2 million women and children are victims of trafficking the world over. Human trafficking is the world’s third largest illegal business, generating $9.5 billion in revenue each year. Civil society must ensure that the victims don’t suffer from any stigma. They must be brought back to the mainstream with dignity for they have committed no crime.West Bengal, along with Bihar, accounts for the maximum numbers of girls who have been trafficked into the country from abroad simply for prostitution. According to figures available till 2005, this so-called “importation of girls” has increased by nearly 67.4 per cent. The National Crime Records Bureau, which recently released its data, states that 149 cases were recorded across the country in 2005, compared to only 89 in 2004 and 46 in 2003.While Bihar tops the list with 74 such cases, accounting for nearly 49.7 per cent of the total, West Bengal stands second with 61 and accounting for 40.9 per cent of the total. According to the Indian Penal Code, if a girl below the age of 21 years is trafficked into India from any other country or the state of Jammu and Kashmir, it is considered “importation” and is punishable with up to 10 years of imprisonment.But statistics reveal that the highest number of pending cases of violence against women are those of importation. Out of the 248 persons who were arrested on charges of violence against women, only 148 could be settled by the court. In another departure from the nationwide trend, West Bengal accounts for the lowest number of rape victims who do not know the identity of the offenders. National statistics reveal that the victims in 84.6 per cent of the rape cases knew their offenders. On the contrary, only in 2.9 per cent cases in West Bengal were the offenders known to the victims. West Bengal has a porous border with its economically weak neighbours. As a result, girls are frequently trafficked into the state and forced into prostitution. While many of the victims are rescued and the offenders arrested, many cases go unreported. Most of the girls come from poor families and are lured into the trap with the promise of a lucrative job.
The major factors behind human trafficking are poverty, political instability, unexpected changes in economic or political condition, natural and man-made disasters, poor governance, advance in communication and transportation, easy profits made from exploitation, marginalisation of the poor, and lack of information about the realities and dangers of trafficking and smuggling. The administration shows little concern to tackle it seriously, allowing operators to indulge in a part-time or whole-time illegal profession with inter-state and international ramifications. Even so-called men of position are involved. For instance, the BJP MP, Babubhai Katara, was arrested for trying to smuggle a woman and a teenager to Canada. West Bengal has emerged as a major hub over the last 10 years, with 15,750 girls and women having been abducted and kidnapped in 2005. The procuring of minor girls shot up from 2.7 per cent to 13.8 per cent in 2005, and the number of girls sold to prostitution rose from 26.7 to 88 per cent.
Bengal serves as a source, transit and destination for trafficking in women and children. The state’s border with Bangladesh, Bhutan and 14 major points with Nepal in North Bengal have made it a vulnerable location. Its common boundaries with Orissa. Bihar, Jharkhand and Sikkim have made it a safe haven for traffickers. The problem of child trafficking is endemic in the districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Murshidabad, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Midnapore, Nadia, North and South 24-Parganas.Kolkata is also a nerve centre with 21 large brothels acting as active links with numerous “flying sex zones” across the country. Nearly 10 per cent of the sex workers in the city have come from Bangladesh and Nepal. The city accounts for 45.5 per cent of minor girls brought into the state. The Bengal-Bangladesh border is a key entry point. There are 14 such points from Nepal to North Bengal. The two dangerous dens in Murshidabad are located in Jalangi and Domkol. The trafficked girls are confined to the prostitution centres of North Bengal, Nadia, South 24-Parganas and Kolkata before being sent to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, and even places in Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. More than 45.5 per cent girls are trafficked through Kolkata. According to the National Human Rights Commission report, Bengal is fourth in terms of trafficking.A large number of missing cases are not reported. The children leave their homes with the knowledge of their parents. Therefore, no complaints are filed with the police. Initially, the parents don’t realise that their children are being trafficked as they are taken away with the promise of either jobs or marriage. In most of the cases those who lure these children away happen to be their own relatives or someone known to them.
Good earnings
On an average the traffickers earn Rs 25,000-30,000 on each transaction. Community policing is essential to check the menace. Roadside restaurants, hotels and dhabas are used as conduits in the network. Regular police raids are essential to arrest the culprits and rescue the victims. The registration of the names of domestic helps at the local police station must be made compulsory.It isn’t just the responsibility of the police. It is eventually society’s responsibility. And that includes the NGOs, panchayats, municipalities, magistrates, religious leaders, the media, ministry of home affairs, department of social welfare, and the department of education. Even the private sector has a vital role to play. Chambers of commerce can prepare an anti-human trafficking policy and tell their members to sign it with a commitment that they will not use any product of forced labour and also ask the vendors and clients to sign on the same document before conducting business. As poverty is the root cause, it is important to focus on micro-finance. The rural society needs to be convinced that a victim ought to be rehabilitated with due respect so that she can lead a normal life if she wishes to.The position of women and children can be strengthened through education, health and nutrition. This will give them the opportunity to lead a normal life.The writer is with the Department of Social Work, Visva-Bharati
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Minor girls forced into prostitution in India
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 (Pune)
Thousands of young girls in India are forced into prostitution every day. Some of them are as young as ten years. NDTV met one such victim, who was lucky enough to escape. She narrates her plight and that of many others like her still languishing in brothels. ''I was kidnapped from Hyderabad and sold here. I was physically assaulted and forced into prostitution. I was injected so I do not suffer from pain,'' said the victim of prostitution. Over the last 11 months, this girl, has been sold to about 11,000 customers. She is just 15. Kidnapped by an organised gang from her hometown Hyderabad, she was sold in Budhwar Peth, the red light district of Pune for Rs 35,000. What followed was a nightmare. There seemed no exit from the hell she was living in but then quite luckily a customer agreed to let her use his mobile phone and she immediately called her family. Within days, the police had found her. She was rescued but she says there are thousands of girls like her still trapped inside.''There are girls even as young as 7-10 years old. As they grow up, they are pushed into this trade,'' she added. Off camera, she also tells us, many police raids are stage managed because most brothel owners are tipped off about the raid. So the success of the rescue operations are limited. ''In the last one year, we have rescued some 330 girls. Whenever we get information, we conduct a raid and free the girls,'' said V T Pawar, Senior Inspector, Faraskhana Police Station.''It's true that now more and more young girls are being forced into this profession, as it has been always, because of the demand,'' said Tejaswini Sevekari, Director, Saheli. What is lacking is very close monitoring of such brothels without which thousands of young girls slip through the cracks many of them never to be found.
Thousands of young girls in India are forced into prostitution every day. Some of them are as young as ten years. NDTV met one such victim, who was lucky enough to escape. She narrates her plight and that of many others like her still languishing in brothels. ''I was kidnapped from Hyderabad and sold here. I was physically assaulted and forced into prostitution. I was injected so I do not suffer from pain,'' said the victim of prostitution. Over the last 11 months, this girl, has been sold to about 11,000 customers. She is just 15. Kidnapped by an organised gang from her hometown Hyderabad, she was sold in Budhwar Peth, the red light district of Pune for Rs 35,000. What followed was a nightmare. There seemed no exit from the hell she was living in but then quite luckily a customer agreed to let her use his mobile phone and she immediately called her family. Within days, the police had found her. She was rescued but she says there are thousands of girls like her still trapped inside.''There are girls even as young as 7-10 years old. As they grow up, they are pushed into this trade,'' she added. Off camera, she also tells us, many police raids are stage managed because most brothel owners are tipped off about the raid. So the success of the rescue operations are limited. ''In the last one year, we have rescued some 330 girls. Whenever we get information, we conduct a raid and free the girls,'' said V T Pawar, Senior Inspector, Faraskhana Police Station.''It's true that now more and more young girls are being forced into this profession, as it has been always, because of the demand,'' said Tejaswini Sevekari, Director, Saheli. What is lacking is very close monitoring of such brothels without which thousands of young girls slip through the cracks many of them never to be found.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Nepalese girls among 24 minors 'rescued'
The Times of India -
Nepalese girls among 24 minors 'rescued'
14 Jun 2008, 0414 hrs IST, Suhas Vyas,TNN
AKOLA: As many as 24 girl artists employed with a circus group were taken into custody for interrogation following a raid on Friday morning. The Raj Mahal Circus shows began here at Akola Cricket Club ground on June 5. Assistant labour commissioner A S Belekar took custody of these 24 girls — most of them Nepalese and some Asamese. The Nepalese embassy made a formal request to the government of India informing about the freeing the Nepalese girls employed by the circus, according Philip Holmes, founder director of Esther Benjamins Trust (EBT), a Nepal based non-government organisation.
An EBT team led by Holmes contacted the local police and the action was taken following a directive issued to this affect by district collector Dr Srikar Pardesi. Holmes, accompanied by his associates Shailaja C M and Dilu Tamang and Nandita Rao, legal advisor of Child Line, said there was no law about prevention of child labour in Nepal and EBT was working for the prevention of illegal human trafficking, child labour, drugs etc.
Talking to TOI, Nandita Rao said preliminary investigation revealed that the girl artists were "treated as prisoners and bonded labour on a meagre wages". They were in a way purchased by paying a meagre sum from their parents, she alleged. Many of the girls female expressed their willingness to go return home. "The girls would be taken back to their native place if they desired so," Rao said. Raj Mahal Circus is Kanpur-based and came into being in 1995. Its owner Fateh Khan executed a unique agreement with the parents of each girl artist to employ them as as an apprentice artist on a meagre wages of Rs 100 per month and providing food, clothes, shelter and medical aid to be borne by the circus management. The execution of agreement was not registered and was made at Kanpur.
Prima facie it appeared that the girls were bonded labours employed by the circus on the pretext of training various acrobatic skills. Khan allegedly paid only Rs 1000 to the parents of the girls initially and laid a condition that the parents would have to reimburse the expenses incurred on the girls by the circus management in case they want to take the girls back.
Nepalese girls among 24 minors 'rescued'
14 Jun 2008, 0414 hrs IST, Suhas Vyas,TNN
AKOLA: As many as 24 girl artists employed with a circus group were taken into custody for interrogation following a raid on Friday morning. The Raj Mahal Circus shows began here at Akola Cricket Club ground on June 5. Assistant labour commissioner A S Belekar took custody of these 24 girls — most of them Nepalese and some Asamese. The Nepalese embassy made a formal request to the government of India informing about the freeing the Nepalese girls employed by the circus, according Philip Holmes, founder director of Esther Benjamins Trust (EBT), a Nepal based non-government organisation.
An EBT team led by Holmes contacted the local police and the action was taken following a directive issued to this affect by district collector Dr Srikar Pardesi. Holmes, accompanied by his associates Shailaja C M and Dilu Tamang and Nandita Rao, legal advisor of Child Line, said there was no law about prevention of child labour in Nepal and EBT was working for the prevention of illegal human trafficking, child labour, drugs etc.
Talking to TOI, Nandita Rao said preliminary investigation revealed that the girl artists were "treated as prisoners and bonded labour on a meagre wages". They were in a way purchased by paying a meagre sum from their parents, she alleged. Many of the girls female expressed their willingness to go return home. "The girls would be taken back to their native place if they desired so," Rao said. Raj Mahal Circus is Kanpur-based and came into being in 1995. Its owner Fateh Khan executed a unique agreement with the parents of each girl artist to employ them as as an apprentice artist on a meagre wages of Rs 100 per month and providing food, clothes, shelter and medical aid to be borne by the circus management. The execution of agreement was not registered and was made at Kanpur.
Prima facie it appeared that the girls were bonded labours employed by the circus on the pretext of training various acrobatic skills. Khan allegedly paid only Rs 1000 to the parents of the girls initially and laid a condition that the parents would have to reimburse the expenses incurred on the girls by the circus management in case they want to take the girls back.
Out of 20 artists released from the Circus, 6 belonged to Nepal while 14 belonged to India. (12 from WB & 2 from Assam). We sent two teams under the leadership of revenue officials and with adequate police escort to Delhi and Kolkata respectively. The Delhi team has handed over the 6 Nepalese girls to the First Secretary, Embassy of Nepal at New Delhi on June 19, 2008. The second team reached Kolkata on 19th June and has handed over 4 rescued artists to DM Nadia & 8 artists to DM Jalpaigudi. The team is on way to Dhemaji District of Assam where they would be handing over the custody of remaining 2 girls to the DM Dhemaji.
All the rescued artists have been issued the Release Certificate by me as per the provisions of The Bonded Labour Abolition Act, 1974. In addition, the 13 children have been issued the Release Certificate under the provisions of Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. We have given Rs. 1000/- each to the rescued artists as subsistence allowance under the guidelines of Govt. of India regarding rehabilitation of the rescued bonded labourers. As per the scheme, the remaining Rs. 19,000/- are to be given by the DM of their native district towards the rehabilitation of these persons. I have made a request to the concerned District Magistrates about the same.
Congratulations to Collector, SP of Akola Dist. & their NGO partners for saving the lives of 24 minors.
Friday, June 06, 2008
US watch list slams India for human trafficking
Howrah News Service - Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World:
US watch list slams India for human traffickingUS watch list slams India for human trafficking
================================================================================NewsByte on 05 June, 2008 03:26:37
The US has placed India on its second worst category of human trafficking watch list for the fifth year in a row for allegedly failing to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat the problem.
"India is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation," an annual US State Department report released on Wednesday said,placing New Delhi on the Tier-2 Watch List."The government of India does not fully comply with the minimum standards forthe elimination of trafficking. However, it is making significant efforts to doso," said the 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report released by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice."Despite the reported extent of the trafficking crisis in India, government authorities made uneven efforts to prosecute traffickers and protect trafficking victims," it said, suggesting, "Internal forced labour may constitute India's largest trafficking problem.
"Rice said the goal of the report covering 170 countries "is to shine a light onrecent accomplishments and encourage governments in their resolve to confront those who prey on the weakest and most vulnerable members of society".
"Together, we are confident that this modern, growing abolitionist movement will continue to rescue, rehabilitate, and restore the lives of those from whomso much has been taken," she said.Denying a reporter's suggestion that India and China had not been moved to the worst Tier 3 as the US was trying to forge economic ties with them, Mark Lagon,director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons said: "With respect to India and China, these are both very serious cases.""We're quite blunt in the report. Frankly, we're quite blunt in our extensive diplomatic dialogue with these countries," he said noting: "There are some positive developments in each.""India has made efforts on the child labour front, rescuing victims. In fact,Indian Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes joined in a raid." Lagon said. "But India still doesn't recognise bonded labour as human trafficking.
It has weakanti-corruption efforts and prosecutions are too few."Asked if in view of this, he felt comfortable that both India and China arestill on Tier-2 Watch List, he said: "Indeed, indeed."
Sexual exploitation
The report said India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Nepali children are also trafficked to India for forced labour in circus shows.Indian women are trafficked to the Middle East for commercial sexual exploitation, the report said.
There are also victims of labour trafficking
Among the thousands of Indians who migrate willingly every year to the Middle East, Europe, and the US for work as domestic servants and low-skilled labourers.Men and women from Bangladesh and Nepal are trafficked through India for forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation in the Middle East. Indian nationalstravel to Nepal and within the country for child sex tourism.In India itself, men, women, and children are held in debt bondage and face forced labour working in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroideryfactories, the report said.While no comprehensive study of forced and bonded labour has been completed,NGOs estimate this problem affects 20 to 65 million Indians, it said. Women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage.Children are subjected to forced labour as factory workers, domestic servants,beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups, it said. Describing lack of punishment of traffickers as "a critical challenge", thereport recommended an expansion of central and state government law enforcement capacity to conduct intrastate law enforcement activities against trafficking.India's efforts to protect victims of trafficking varied from state to state,but remained inadequate in many places during the year, the report said.Calling India's efforts aimed at the prevention of trafficking in persons as"inadequate", the report said:
"The government did not report new or significant prevention efforts addressing the prominent domestic problems of trafficking of adults for purposes of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation."It also did not report any efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, the State Department report said. Similarly, the government failed to take any steps to raise awareness of trafficking for nationals travelling to knownchild sex tourism destinations within the country.
India has not ratified the2000 UN Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Protocol
US watch list slams India for human traffickingUS watch list slams India for human trafficking
================================================================================NewsByte on 05 June, 2008 03:26:37
The US has placed India on its second worst category of human trafficking watch list for the fifth year in a row for allegedly failing to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat the problem.
"India is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation," an annual US State Department report released on Wednesday said,placing New Delhi on the Tier-2 Watch List."The government of India does not fully comply with the minimum standards forthe elimination of trafficking. However, it is making significant efforts to doso," said the 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report released by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice."Despite the reported extent of the trafficking crisis in India, government authorities made uneven efforts to prosecute traffickers and protect trafficking victims," it said, suggesting, "Internal forced labour may constitute India's largest trafficking problem.
"Rice said the goal of the report covering 170 countries "is to shine a light onrecent accomplishments and encourage governments in their resolve to confront those who prey on the weakest and most vulnerable members of society".
"Together, we are confident that this modern, growing abolitionist movement will continue to rescue, rehabilitate, and restore the lives of those from whomso much has been taken," she said.Denying a reporter's suggestion that India and China had not been moved to the worst Tier 3 as the US was trying to forge economic ties with them, Mark Lagon,director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons said: "With respect to India and China, these are both very serious cases.""We're quite blunt in the report. Frankly, we're quite blunt in our extensive diplomatic dialogue with these countries," he said noting: "There are some positive developments in each.""India has made efforts on the child labour front, rescuing victims. In fact,Indian Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes joined in a raid." Lagon said. "But India still doesn't recognise bonded labour as human trafficking.
It has weakanti-corruption efforts and prosecutions are too few."Asked if in view of this, he felt comfortable that both India and China arestill on Tier-2 Watch List, he said: "Indeed, indeed."
Sexual exploitation
The report said India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Nepali children are also trafficked to India for forced labour in circus shows.Indian women are trafficked to the Middle East for commercial sexual exploitation, the report said.
There are also victims of labour trafficking
Among the thousands of Indians who migrate willingly every year to the Middle East, Europe, and the US for work as domestic servants and low-skilled labourers.Men and women from Bangladesh and Nepal are trafficked through India for forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation in the Middle East. Indian nationalstravel to Nepal and within the country for child sex tourism.In India itself, men, women, and children are held in debt bondage and face forced labour working in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroideryfactories, the report said.While no comprehensive study of forced and bonded labour has been completed,NGOs estimate this problem affects 20 to 65 million Indians, it said. Women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage.Children are subjected to forced labour as factory workers, domestic servants,beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups, it said. Describing lack of punishment of traffickers as "a critical challenge", thereport recommended an expansion of central and state government law enforcement capacity to conduct intrastate law enforcement activities against trafficking.India's efforts to protect victims of trafficking varied from state to state,but remained inadequate in many places during the year, the report said.Calling India's efforts aimed at the prevention of trafficking in persons as"inadequate", the report said:
"The government did not report new or significant prevention efforts addressing the prominent domestic problems of trafficking of adults for purposes of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation."It also did not report any efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, the State Department report said. Similarly, the government failed to take any steps to raise awareness of trafficking for nationals travelling to knownchild sex tourism destinations within the country.
India has not ratified the2000 UN Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Protocol
Friday, March 28, 2008
Scourge of human trafficking in India
.By Sandhya Nigam
17 March 2008, Monday
WHEN MONA was 13 years, her mother died and her father remarried. The stepmother was uncomfortable with Mona and wanted to send her away for some job, where she would be able to look after herself. Along came a ”contractor” who arranged jobs for youngsters as domestic help, etc. He paid a certain sum of money to the stepmother and took Mona to a town far away. He got her a job in a massage parlour as a ‘receptionist’. Even before Mona got to know the work profile, she realized that she had been trapped into sexual exploitation. She had become a sexual slave to the ‘customers’ who frequented the place for full-body massage.
Mona is no exception. She is one of the millions of women and children being trafficked and exploited. Mona’s case presents a typical trafficking scenario. Human trafficking (HT) is one of the gravest violations of human dignity and human rights. Trafficking can be classified under three heads: (a) for commercial sexual exploitation or CSE, (b) for exploitative labour or EL and (c) for other forms of exploitation, like organ sale, camel jockeying, etc.
CSE could take place in a brothel or anywhere else like massage parlours and bars. The cause of trafficking is two-dimensional. One is the demand factor and the other is the vulnerability of the person being victimised. More the demand, more the crime. The vulnerability of the trafficked victim is another dimension. Vulnerability, as often quoted, is not exactly attributable to poverty. It is a culmination of several factors, including awareness of rights, lack of access to rights, illiteracy, disparities of income , the scope for exploitation of the victim, poor law enforcement, lack of public awareness and the ” culture of silence” to violation of rights of others.
Article 23 of the Constitution of India prohibits trafficking in any form. We have special legislations like the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA), 1956, the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000. The law enforcement scenario, seen from the traditional viewpoint, presents a dismal picture. Research conducted by the National Human Rights Commission during 2002-2004 shows that the major issues in law enforcement are as follows:
1. Lack of priority-The law enforcement agencies and justice delivery agencies, for various reasons, accord lowest or nil priority to HT issues.
2. Insensitivity-The lack of sensitivity to human trafficking is a major challenge. It is more of an attitudinal issue.
3. Victimisation of the victim-More often, the trafficked women have been arrested and penalized for ‘soliciting’.
4 Improper Investigation-trafficking involves a long trail, starting from the source point, covering several transit points before terminating at the destination. But the investigation is more or less confined to the place where the victim is rescued. Victims remain more often unheard and unrepresented.
5. Organised crime perspective is lacking in investigation- HT involves several offenders like recruiters, transporters, traffickers, harbourers, exploiters and conspirators. But often, investigation is limited to those present at the scene of rescue. Human trafficking being an organized crime requires sharing of intelligence and an in-depth investigation into all linkages but this is rarely done.
6. Lack of co-ordination-The response to human trafficking requires co-ordination among the various government departments, like police, public welfare, health, women and child. The gap in co-ordination is a major challenge to the response system.
7. Lack of coordination with NGO’s- The ITPA and labour laws do assign specific role to NGO’s; however there is no institutionalized system of co-ordination between the law enforcement agencies and NGO’s.
8. Lack of Appreciation-Several instances of good work done by the police officers, researchers, NGO’s, etc, in controlling human trafficking can be cited. However such actions are not acknowledged and disseminated; often good news is no news and bad news is good news.
9. Lack of Emphasis on Rehabilitation- This is a major challenge which leads to not only victimization of victims but also re-trafficking of the rescued person. Despite the fact that several corporates set aside large funds for social responsibility, lack of synergy with the law enforcement agencies and NGO’s has been an impediment in effective dovetailing of such sources for rehabilitating the victim.
However, the emerging scenario is certainly positive. There are several initiatives launched across the country to address human trafficking in a comprehensive and effective manner. Some of these initiatives may be initiated by individuals who are committed to the cause and due to their initiatives, such steps are getting institutionalised. In fact, during the last six years of this century, there has been a growing momentum against human trafficking. The reasons may be many. First of all, credit should go to NGOs who have brought the HT issue into the national agenda. Secondly, several law enforcement officers and human rights activists have provided leadership and proper orientation in achieving better results in anti-human trafficking (AHT).
*Increased awareness-There is a national momentum, involving various stake holders, especially the media, the corporates, government agencies including the law-enforcement wing and human rights agencies. One of the best examples is the Global Initiative in Fighting Human Trafficking (GIFT), initiated by UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime).
Holistic approach: Several agencies working together and attending to the issues of ‘PPP’(Prevention, Protection and Prosecution), in a concerted manner has been one of the features of the new response system. While police undertake rescue operations along with NGOs, other government departments immediately move in, to provide interim relief to the victims. The NGOs take over post-rescue care and attention in association with the government agencies concerned.
*Synergy in action: The UNODC, New Delhi, in partnership with the government of India and State government agencies as well as civil society has set up ‘anti-human trafficking units’ (AHTU) in several states. AHTU is a special task force set up under the State police, by involving chosen police officers, NGOs and others who are specially trained for the purpose. UNODC has provided training and empowerment to these officers with focus on knowledge, skills and attitudinal orientation. These units are making a tremendous impact on the law enforcement scenario - for example, in a span of six months, the AHTUs in Andhra Pradesh have rescued more than 700 victims of which more than 100 are children under 18. The rescued victims are being promptly taken care of by the government as well as NGOs, most of them having been rehabilitated with the help of corporate and business houses. Excellent rehabilitation has been achieved through synergetic action.
AHT is an area, which beckons all those who are concerned with human rights. There is much to do and something to be done by everybody. It is everybody’s business. The question is whether one is a part of the problem or part of the solution. There is no third option. Therefore, all who are committed to human rights must join hands in this global initiative to fight human trafficking. We can together ensure that, Mona is safe in our home and community and that Mona lives with dignity, like all of us and it will be so with all the Mona’s.
Achievements of anti-human trafficking measures in five states (Jan-Sep 2007):
1. Trafficking crimes registered: 466 # Rescue Operations: 96
2. NGOs associated in operations: 90 per cent # Victims rescued: 716
3. Minors rescued: 108 # Traffickers arrested: 1020.
4.’Customers’arrested: 332 #Traffickers convicted: 2
5. Centres of exploitation closed: Andhra Pradesh and Goa.
6. Crimes prevented: numerous, though the numbers are not available.
7. Post-rescue care and attention provided to rescued persons: Cent percent
17 March 2008, Monday
WHEN MONA was 13 years, her mother died and her father remarried. The stepmother was uncomfortable with Mona and wanted to send her away for some job, where she would be able to look after herself. Along came a ”contractor” who arranged jobs for youngsters as domestic help, etc. He paid a certain sum of money to the stepmother and took Mona to a town far away. He got her a job in a massage parlour as a ‘receptionist’. Even before Mona got to know the work profile, she realized that she had been trapped into sexual exploitation. She had become a sexual slave to the ‘customers’ who frequented the place for full-body massage.
Mona is no exception. She is one of the millions of women and children being trafficked and exploited. Mona’s case presents a typical trafficking scenario. Human trafficking (HT) is one of the gravest violations of human dignity and human rights. Trafficking can be classified under three heads: (a) for commercial sexual exploitation or CSE, (b) for exploitative labour or EL and (c) for other forms of exploitation, like organ sale, camel jockeying, etc.
CSE could take place in a brothel or anywhere else like massage parlours and bars. The cause of trafficking is two-dimensional. One is the demand factor and the other is the vulnerability of the person being victimised. More the demand, more the crime. The vulnerability of the trafficked victim is another dimension. Vulnerability, as often quoted, is not exactly attributable to poverty. It is a culmination of several factors, including awareness of rights, lack of access to rights, illiteracy, disparities of income , the scope for exploitation of the victim, poor law enforcement, lack of public awareness and the ” culture of silence” to violation of rights of others.
Article 23 of the Constitution of India prohibits trafficking in any form. We have special legislations like the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA), 1956, the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000. The law enforcement scenario, seen from the traditional viewpoint, presents a dismal picture. Research conducted by the National Human Rights Commission during 2002-2004 shows that the major issues in law enforcement are as follows:
1. Lack of priority-The law enforcement agencies and justice delivery agencies, for various reasons, accord lowest or nil priority to HT issues.
2. Insensitivity-The lack of sensitivity to human trafficking is a major challenge. It is more of an attitudinal issue.
3. Victimisation of the victim-More often, the trafficked women have been arrested and penalized for ‘soliciting’.
4 Improper Investigation-trafficking involves a long trail, starting from the source point, covering several transit points before terminating at the destination. But the investigation is more or less confined to the place where the victim is rescued. Victims remain more often unheard and unrepresented.
5. Organised crime perspective is lacking in investigation- HT involves several offenders like recruiters, transporters, traffickers, harbourers, exploiters and conspirators. But often, investigation is limited to those present at the scene of rescue. Human trafficking being an organized crime requires sharing of intelligence and an in-depth investigation into all linkages but this is rarely done.
6. Lack of co-ordination-The response to human trafficking requires co-ordination among the various government departments, like police, public welfare, health, women and child. The gap in co-ordination is a major challenge to the response system.
7. Lack of coordination with NGO’s- The ITPA and labour laws do assign specific role to NGO’s; however there is no institutionalized system of co-ordination between the law enforcement agencies and NGO’s.
8. Lack of Appreciation-Several instances of good work done by the police officers, researchers, NGO’s, etc, in controlling human trafficking can be cited. However such actions are not acknowledged and disseminated; often good news is no news and bad news is good news.
9. Lack of Emphasis on Rehabilitation- This is a major challenge which leads to not only victimization of victims but also re-trafficking of the rescued person. Despite the fact that several corporates set aside large funds for social responsibility, lack of synergy with the law enforcement agencies and NGO’s has been an impediment in effective dovetailing of such sources for rehabilitating the victim.
However, the emerging scenario is certainly positive. There are several initiatives launched across the country to address human trafficking in a comprehensive and effective manner. Some of these initiatives may be initiated by individuals who are committed to the cause and due to their initiatives, such steps are getting institutionalised. In fact, during the last six years of this century, there has been a growing momentum against human trafficking. The reasons may be many. First of all, credit should go to NGOs who have brought the HT issue into the national agenda. Secondly, several law enforcement officers and human rights activists have provided leadership and proper orientation in achieving better results in anti-human trafficking (AHT).
*Increased awareness-There is a national momentum, involving various stake holders, especially the media, the corporates, government agencies including the law-enforcement wing and human rights agencies. One of the best examples is the Global Initiative in Fighting Human Trafficking (GIFT), initiated by UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime).
Holistic approach: Several agencies working together and attending to the issues of ‘PPP’(Prevention, Protection and Prosecution), in a concerted manner has been one of the features of the new response system. While police undertake rescue operations along with NGOs, other government departments immediately move in, to provide interim relief to the victims. The NGOs take over post-rescue care and attention in association with the government agencies concerned.
*Synergy in action: The UNODC, New Delhi, in partnership with the government of India and State government agencies as well as civil society has set up ‘anti-human trafficking units’ (AHTU) in several states. AHTU is a special task force set up under the State police, by involving chosen police officers, NGOs and others who are specially trained for the purpose. UNODC has provided training and empowerment to these officers with focus on knowledge, skills and attitudinal orientation. These units are making a tremendous impact on the law enforcement scenario - for example, in a span of six months, the AHTUs in Andhra Pradesh have rescued more than 700 victims of which more than 100 are children under 18. The rescued victims are being promptly taken care of by the government as well as NGOs, most of them having been rehabilitated with the help of corporate and business houses. Excellent rehabilitation has been achieved through synergetic action.
AHT is an area, which beckons all those who are concerned with human rights. There is much to do and something to be done by everybody. It is everybody’s business. The question is whether one is a part of the problem or part of the solution. There is no third option. Therefore, all who are committed to human rights must join hands in this global initiative to fight human trafficking. We can together ensure that, Mona is safe in our home and community and that Mona lives with dignity, like all of us and it will be so with all the Mona’s.
Achievements of anti-human trafficking measures in five states (Jan-Sep 2007):
1. Trafficking crimes registered: 466 # Rescue Operations: 96
2. NGOs associated in operations: 90 per cent # Victims rescued: 716
3. Minors rescued: 108 # Traffickers arrested: 1020.
4.’Customers’arrested: 332 #Traffickers convicted: 2
5. Centres of exploitation closed: Andhra Pradesh and Goa.
6. Crimes prevented: numerous, though the numbers are not available.
7. Post-rescue care and attention provided to rescued persons: Cent percent
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Chennai doctor gets lifer in cyber porn case
THE TIMES OF INDIA
Chennai doctor gets lifer in cyber porn case
7 Feb 2008, 1436 hrs
CHENNAI: A fast track court on Thursday sentenced city-based orthopaedic Dr L Prakash to life imprisonment and three others to seven years rigorous imprisonment in a cyber pornography case. Prakash was arrested in December 2001 on charges of posting obscene pictures of women on the internet with the help of his brother based in the US. Judge R Radha, who convicted all the four on Wednesday, also imposed a fine of Rs 1.27 lakh on Prakash, the main accused in the case, and Rs 2,500 each on his three associates - Saravanan, Vijayan and Asir Gunasingh. The judge, while awarding life term to Prakash, observed that considering the gravity of the offences committed by the main accused, maximum punishment under the Immoral Trafficking Act (life imprisonment) should be given to him and no leniency should be shown. The judge sentenced Prakash under the Immoral Trafficking Act, IPC, Arms Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act among others. The judge said the sentences would run concurrently.
Chennai doctor gets lifer in cyber porn case
7 Feb 2008, 1436 hrs
CHENNAI: A fast track court on Thursday sentenced city-based orthopaedic Dr L Prakash to life imprisonment and three others to seven years rigorous imprisonment in a cyber pornography case. Prakash was arrested in December 2001 on charges of posting obscene pictures of women on the internet with the help of his brother based in the US. Judge R Radha, who convicted all the four on Wednesday, also imposed a fine of Rs 1.27 lakh on Prakash, the main accused in the case, and Rs 2,500 each on his three associates - Saravanan, Vijayan and Asir Gunasingh. The judge, while awarding life term to Prakash, observed that considering the gravity of the offences committed by the main accused, maximum punishment under the Immoral Trafficking Act (life imprisonment) should be given to him and no leniency should be shown. The judge sentenced Prakash under the Immoral Trafficking Act, IPC, Arms Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act among others. The judge said the sentences would run concurrently.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Faces of Bihari child labourers say it all
Date:08/01/2008
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad
Swathi.V
*Thirteen children rescued from paper recycling unit in city
*The young labourers did not get a single day’s wage so far
*Rs. 600 per month was deducted as food expenses from these workers
PHOTO: SWATHI.V. Innocent victims: The Bihari children rescued from a paper mill on Saturday were sheltered at a home in Petbasheerabad of Medchal. -
HYDERABAD: Weathered faces of 13 Bihari children rescued from a paper recycling unit in the city on Saturday scarcely display signs of playfulness. Having endured utter penury and social discrimination in their native State, they have learnt the ways of the world too early in life. Parents of Mohd.Naushad, 13, are tenant farmers at Pakadia village of Dharbanga district, who do not own even a bullock. His 11-member family includes three brothers and five sisters. Unable to eke out a living, his parents sent Naushad to work in Hyderabad. He was among the contingent of 30 (both children and adults), which reached here six months ago.
Though promised Rs.2,400 a month, these labourers have not received even a day’s wages. “Forced to live inside the factory premises, we worked in a 12-hour shift continuously. There was no respite on Sundays and festivals. Absence due to illness would not be brooked by the management. We did not even have money for return tickets,” Saroj Kumar, another boy relates. Measly meals
They had to cook meals from the ration given by the factory management. Rs.600 per month was to be deducted from their earnings towards food. The children are yet to reconcile to the fact that one among them is dead. Mohd. Shakeel, the boy who died after being hit by the conveyor belt, was a cousin of Naushad.
“My parents were weeping over the phone. They wanted me to come back. I will never come here again,” Naushad says.
All were not as firm, however. “What we earn at home gets dissipated for the daily needs. Only by working outside can we repay the debts and buy some property,” another child Mohan Kumar says with cold practicality. None of them display any intention of ever going to a school. While the parents of a few children arrived from Bihar on Monday, there was no trace of either the mill owner or the Labour
13 child labourers rescued from paper mill
Date:06/01/2008
13 child labourers rescued from paper mill
Staff Reporter
HYDERABAD: Inspection of a paper mill following the death of a child labourer due to alleged negligence of management led to the rescue of 13 of his ‘colleagues’ at Medchal on Saturday.
All the rescued child workers were in the age group of 11-14 years and hailed from Dharbhanga and Madhubani districts of Bihar. While two labour contractors of Bihar, Kamlesh Kher Jha and Chandrashekhar Jha, were arrested on charge of hiring the children, the Limra paper mill owner Mohd. Afroz was absconding, the Cyberabad DCP (Alwal) Mahesh Bhagwat said.
Thirteen-year-old Mohd. Shakeel working in the factory located at Kishtapur died on Friday after he was hit by a conveyor belt. A case under section 304-A (rash and negligent act resulting in death) and 374 (unlawful compulsory labour) of the Indian Penal Code was registered. Shifted to hospital
Later, Medchal Inspector Mohd. Rafiq inspected the mill jointly with the officials of the Factories and the Labour departments to ascertain facts. They found 13 more children working in the mill and rescued them. The children were shifted to the Government hospital for age determination test.
The children would be lodged in Ashrita rescue home in Petbasheerabad till they are reunited with their respective parents.
The DCP said each rescued child worker would be provided a financial assistance of Rs. 10,000 as per Government norms.
“We are writing to the Government to close down the mill since employing children in hazardous units is a serious offence,” Mr. Bhagawat said.
Staff Reporter
HYDERABAD: Inspection of a paper mill following the death of a child labourer due to alleged negligence of management led to the rescue of 13 of his ‘colleagues’ at Medchal on Saturday.
All the rescued child workers were in the age group of 11-14 years and hailed from Dharbhanga and Madhubani districts of Bihar. While two labour contractors of Bihar, Kamlesh Kher Jha and Chandrashekhar Jha, were arrested on charge of hiring the children, the Limra paper mill owner Mohd. Afroz was absconding, the Cyberabad DCP (Alwal) Mahesh Bhagwat said.
Thirteen-year-old Mohd. Shakeel working in the factory located at Kishtapur died on Friday after he was hit by a conveyor belt. A case under section 304-A (rash and negligent act resulting in death) and 374 (unlawful compulsory labour) of the Indian Penal Code was registered. Shifted to hospital
Later, Medchal Inspector Mohd. Rafiq inspected the mill jointly with the officials of the Factories and the Labour departments to ascertain facts. They found 13 more children working in the mill and rescued them. The children were shifted to the Government hospital for age determination test.
The children would be lodged in Ashrita rescue home in Petbasheerabad till they are reunited with their respective parents.
The DCP said each rescued child worker would be provided a financial assistance of Rs. 10,000 as per Government norms.
“We are writing to the Government to close down the mill since employing children in hazardous units is a serious offence,” Mr. Bhagawat said.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Cross-border trafficking racket involving girls from AP busted
Print Story
Cross-border trafficking racket involving girls from AP busted
PIA CHANDAVARKAR
Posted online: Friday, January 04, 2008 at 0000 hrs IST
Pune, January 3The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) along with the Pune Police on Thursday busted a major cross-border trafficking racket operated in Pune, with women being trafficked from tribal-dominated districts in Andhra Pradesh. While the exact number of those arrested will be finalised only after further investigation, Andhra Pradesh Superintendent of Police Sumita B told The Indian Express that at least 10 traffickers and 40 victims have already been taken into custody.
Based on complaints received from victims in the AP districts of Anantapur, Chittur, and Kadappa who had escaped from brothels in Pune, the Andhra Pradesh CID tipped off local police as well as NGOs. Simultaneous raids were then conducted at various locations in the city’s Budhwar Peth area on Thursday afternoon, and at least 100 women were arrested. Some of those from states other than AP were released. The victims, including six minors, will now be taken back to AP for counseling, while the accused will be produced before court on Friday.
“These arrests are part of a continuous exercise in various cities, involving the transport of minor and major girls across the AP border. There are many instances of girls who have been brought by their parents or relatives, who are in turn often tricked by the agents here. These trafficking operations have been going on for a minimum of two years, going up to even 20 years in some cases,” Sumita said.
CID officials said the girls mostly hailed from economically backward tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh. “The racket is operated across various cities, but Pune has the highest number of trafficking cases from Andhra Pradesh,” a female official from the CID said.
Detailed counseling will now be given to the victims in Andhra Pradesh. “The AP government has many schemes to rehabilitate those victims of the sex trade who express interest for the same. Apart from Rs 10,000 in cash that is given to each victim, housing and employment is also provided to them. Moreover, NGOs are also authorised to provide them with necessary items like clothing, and even assist them in getting reintegrated with their families,” Sumita said.
The Faraskhana police station, where the women were brought, was a scene of complete chaos as the arrested women raised protests that they had not been given any food or water since the arrests were made. “We were not even given an opportunity to bring our belongings and have just locked our houses,” one of them said. Some NGO members also expressed displeasure at the manner in which the procedure was being carried out, and the treatment meted out to the victims.
Faraskhana senior police inspector VT Pawar denied this, saying that the arrested had been provided with bananas and ‘vada pav.’ In fact, these items had been brought in by local NGOs after the women protested
Cross-border trafficking racket involving girls from AP busted
PIA CHANDAVARKAR
Posted online: Friday, January 04, 2008 at 0000 hrs IST
Pune, January 3The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) along with the Pune Police on Thursday busted a major cross-border trafficking racket operated in Pune, with women being trafficked from tribal-dominated districts in Andhra Pradesh. While the exact number of those arrested will be finalised only after further investigation, Andhra Pradesh Superintendent of Police Sumita B told The Indian Express that at least 10 traffickers and 40 victims have already been taken into custody.
Based on complaints received from victims in the AP districts of Anantapur, Chittur, and Kadappa who had escaped from brothels in Pune, the Andhra Pradesh CID tipped off local police as well as NGOs. Simultaneous raids were then conducted at various locations in the city’s Budhwar Peth area on Thursday afternoon, and at least 100 women were arrested. Some of those from states other than AP were released. The victims, including six minors, will now be taken back to AP for counseling, while the accused will be produced before court on Friday.
“These arrests are part of a continuous exercise in various cities, involving the transport of minor and major girls across the AP border. There are many instances of girls who have been brought by their parents or relatives, who are in turn often tricked by the agents here. These trafficking operations have been going on for a minimum of two years, going up to even 20 years in some cases,” Sumita said.
CID officials said the girls mostly hailed from economically backward tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh. “The racket is operated across various cities, but Pune has the highest number of trafficking cases from Andhra Pradesh,” a female official from the CID said.
Detailed counseling will now be given to the victims in Andhra Pradesh. “The AP government has many schemes to rehabilitate those victims of the sex trade who express interest for the same. Apart from Rs 10,000 in cash that is given to each victim, housing and employment is also provided to them. Moreover, NGOs are also authorised to provide them with necessary items like clothing, and even assist them in getting reintegrated with their families,” Sumita said.
The Faraskhana police station, where the women were brought, was a scene of complete chaos as the arrested women raised protests that they had not been given any food or water since the arrests were made. “We were not even given an opportunity to bring our belongings and have just locked our houses,” one of them said. Some NGO members also expressed displeasure at the manner in which the procedure was being carried out, and the treatment meted out to the victims.
Faraskhana senior police inspector VT Pawar denied this, saying that the arrested had been provided with bananas and ‘vada pav.’ In fact, these items had been brought in by local NGOs after the women protested
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