In a major bust by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) in the national capital, 16 girls believed to be victims of human trafficking from Nepal have been rescued from a house in Munirka in southwest Delhi.
According to the DCW, the women were brought to Delhi to be trafficked to Gulf countries. Senior officials at the commission are said to have received a tip-off regarding the apparent human trafficking move and arrived at the room in Munirka where the girls were kept, The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported. DCW chief Swati Maliwal said:
The 16 girls who were brought from Nepal on pretext of employment were kept here in a small room and the traffickers were in a bid to further send them to Gulf nations.
According to Maliwal, the women were part of a human trafficking racket run by 'highly influential' people and were meant to be sent to Iraq and Kuwait. Maliwal further added that several other girls have already been sent to the Gulf by the same people running this ring around 15 days ago.
We have been told that out of the seven, two were sent to Iraq while the other five are in Kuwait. One among them became pregnant there.
The girls were rescued from a building less than half a kilometer from the jurisdictional police station, notes the report.
Expressing her disapproval of the apparent lapse in law and order in the area, the DCW chief said, "Unless the accountability of the police is not strictly set, such incidents and rackets will continue."
The jurisdictional police in Munirka, however, are not too happy about the DCW chief's comments. The cops have rejected the commission's allegations of the women being a part of a human trafficking racket, Hindustan Times reported.
An officer working on the case has stated that none of the women have claimed that they were brought to Delhi from Nepal by force or that they were being pushed into unlawful activities.
Deputy police commissioner of southwest Delhi, Devendra Arya said:
We have registered a case of cheating and forgery because the women were promised jobs but were not given even after staying in the house for last 20-25 days. We are looking for the cheats and the person who is in the possession of their passports and other documents.
However, the DCW chief remains convinced that the rescued women were indeed part of a bigger problem prevailing in the national capital. Maliwal said:
Human trafficking will continue to happen in our country and Delhi will remain a hub until Delhi Police's accountability is set. I have appealed to Union home minister Rajnath Singh time and again to take out time for Delhi and hold at least two meetings every month with L-G, Delhi police chief.
