Last year’s earthquake in Nepal, which rendered many homeless, was used by Affaq Husain and Saira to “boost” their business. In fact, their cross-border trade saw a major jump since the tragedy.
Crime Branch officers said early investigations revealed a sudden surge in the number of women pumped into the sex trade after the mishap shook the Himalayan state.
“Milked the tragedy”
“The couple, along with their accomplices, milked the tragedy to the hilt. At least 50 persons from Nepal are part of this syndicate. Even in Delhi, many of the couple’s staff members are from Nepal, including Affaq’s driver. Many of them were recruited after the earthquake,” said a senior police officer, adding that these members allegedly found it easy to win the trust of the victim due to their nationality
“They [the victims] had nothing left because of the calamity and these staff members instilled in them the hope of finding jobs in the Capital or elsewhere. Once here, they were first kept at Majnu ka Tilla, even as Affaq, Saira and other Delhi-based members decided which kotha the women would be sent to. The news was then broken to the victims, who remained hopeful all this while,” said the officer. The victims would then be sent to GB Road or supplied to brothels of smaller centres like Meerut.
“On an average, they bought each woman for Rs.50,000 and then sold them for up to Rs.2 lakh. But even this money was considered a lot by some who had no other choice left but to give in to the demands of brothel owners.”
Rishi Kant of NGO Shakti Vahini, which has been working in the field of rescue and rehabilitation of the victims, said some victims from Nepal refused to admit during earlier raids that they were being kept forcefully as they feared losing their only source of livelihood. The victims simply kept mum despite the suffering.
