A helpless female from West Bengal's capital, Kolkata, was fraudulently brought to Kashmir Valley and then sold to a resident of the Pattan area at the cost of Rs 1.30 lakh by an inter-state human trafficking gang.
Although, four residents of Kashmir involved in this human trafficking were arrested by the police, teams have been deputed to nab non-local members of this syndicate.
The arrested persons have been identified as Bashir Ahmad Mochi, son of Abdul Rehman Mochi, resident of Arath Budgam, Ghulam Hassan Najar, son of Wali Mohammad Najar, resident of Arath Budgam, Parvaiz Ahmad Ganiee, son of Ghulam Mohammad Ganiee, resident of Yall Pattan, and Mohd Ramzan Ganiee, son of Abdul Wahab Ganiee, resident of Hanjibugh Magam.
They were running the inter-state trafficking racket involved in fraudulently bringing innocent and helpless females and selling them in different parts of Kashmir in lieu of huge money.
According to police, some females from West Bengal were actively involved in fraudulently bringing Rohingya and Bengali girls from different parts of their state and selling them in Kashmir Valley. Police said that on Monday, four people were arrested for their involvement in human trafficking in central Kashmir's Budgam district.
A police spokesperson said, "Police Post Soibugh received a call from a source regarding a non-local lady roaming in the Arath area seeking help. Accordingly, a police team from Police Post Soibugh was deputed to the said place and recovered the said lady, who was subsequently handed over to 'Sakhi One Stop Centre Budgam".
Woman brought from Kolkata to sell in Kashmir
During the initial questioning, the woman revealed that she had been fraudulently brought to Kashmir by Zaitoon Bibi, a resident of Kolkata, and Bashir Ahmed Mochi of Arath, Budgam.
"She further disclosed that the individuals sold her to one Parvaiz Ahmad Ganiee, son of Gh Mohd Ganiee, resident of Yall Pattan for Rs 1.30 lakh and forcibly married her to the said person."
Accordingly, Budgam Police registered a case FIR No. 52/2024 under the relevant section of Law at Police Station Budgam, and an investigation was initiated."
Gangs are active in selling Rohingya women in J&K.
Earlier this month, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against three Myanmar nationals who were involved in the illegal trafficking of Rohingya women into India and selling them into different parts of the country.
According to the NIA, they had entered India illegally, in collusion with traffickers and touts, without valid travel documents, and were also involved in facilitating the infiltration of numerous other foreign nationals through unauthorized and illegal border routes.
According to NIA, the gang was part of a well-organized network of traffickers and touts involved in various illegal activities, they were also engaged in luring vulnerable Rohingya women, who had taken refuge in Bangladesh, into India on the false promises of marriage to Rohingya men.
The NIA said such women were then sold for forced marriages across various Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, and Haryana.
