A recent alleged trafficking of a minor girl from Bangladesh to the city through West Bengal has raised many eyebrows. Sona (name changed), who was brought to India from a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, is posing many questions on the way young girls were being trafficked for flesh trade.
Sona’s cousin, Jasmine, a native of Bangladesh too, reportedly brought the 14-year-old girl to AP a few months ago. However, the police rescued her near city railway station and was handed over to Women Development and Child Welfare Department authorities. According to sources, Jasmine, who speaks Telugu, Hindi, Bangla and other languages, sold Sona to a children trafficking gang in Vijayawada. When Jasmine forced the girl to go along with the gang members, she refused and the beat constables who observed the quarrel rescued the girl.
On noticing the police, Jasmine and the two youth (who came to pickup Sona) escaped from the scene.She came to Childline Home, where the girl was provided shelter and had an argument with the organisers, insisting on sending Sona along with her.
“Jasmine came to Childline twice, located at Hanumanpeta in the city. She was speaking Telugu. The woman had been to the city several times and had contacts with flesh trade organisers at various places in AP and the neighbouring States,” said the home organisers.
Surprisingly, the police, after handing over the girl to Childline, did not register any case . Neither did the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which referred Sona to the home, nor the Childline organisers, inform the matter to the government officials. “My sister promised me a good job in India and brought me here by train. She handed me over to the youth, who were waiting near the railway station. Suspecting a foul play, I raised an alarm and the police rescued me,” Sona recalled.