Christian Anti-Human Trafficking Organization Rescues 13 Girls Forced Into Prostitution from a Brothel in Mumbai, India

Tuesday January 17, 2012

 

FEATURE REPORT

 

One of the rescued girls shares her life story on how she was put into the sex trade

By Jacob Philip
 MUMBAI, INDIA -- Acting on a tip off from the Indian Rescue Mission (IRM) regarding a sex racket, the Mumbai Crime Branch raided a brothel in Faras Road, Mumbai, on Thursday January 12, 2012, and rescued 13 girls.

Scene outside a Mumbai brothel

Two days prior to the raid, the organization had received information about two minor girls who had been trafficked and forced into prostitution in this red light area of Mumbai and IRM investigators verified the information.
Then the material was given to the police and acting on this, the Police raided the brothel.

According to organization's sources, it had been discovered that the victims were said to be confined in the brothel and had been sold, trafficked and forced into prostitution.
The released girls belong to different parts of the country. Twelve girls were trafficked from West Bengal state and another from Bihar.

Brothel owner and manager being taken into custody

"A team, under the supervision of Mr. Vasant Dobhale, the Assistant Commissioner of the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police, along with our organization, raided the area and rescued the girls. A case of illegal trafficking has since been registered at the Nagpada Police Station and charges under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) were applied," said James Varghese, Founder of Indian Rescue Mission and who is also a special correspondent in India for the ASSIST News Service in India.
Five people have been arrested in connection with this case and booked under the stringent sections of anti-trafficking laws and now the Indian Rescue Mission's legal team is following up to make sure the guilty are brought to book.

IRM President James Varghese entering the hiding place during the investigation

During the investigation, it was found that the brothel owner possessed three flats (apartments) and a new one was booked. He also owned many cars, and it believed that this was all bought with the money that was earned by these innocent girls. The police seized cash worth about $8,000 USD during the raid.
"The rescued girls are now in a shelter home and our intervention follow up team is supporting them," said Varghese, Founder and President of the Indian Rescue Mission.

"There is a possibility that at least 5 of the 13 girls are minors. The court has asked to conduct the medical tests of the girls for age verification. The tests will reveal if they are minors or not."
Speaking to ANS, Anitha*, a rescued girl shared her story on how she was brought to the city for the sex trade.

Some of the rescued girls

"I was been brought to the city with a false promise of job," she said. "I was told by the trafficker that I would be paid well in the city and I would have to do household chores. I agreed to it because of my family situation. I lost my father when I was a child and my mother became sick and bed ridden. I have two sisters and a brother younger to me.
Being the elder one of my family, the responsibility of taking care of the family came on my shoulders.

"So as these traffickers offered me a job in the city, I made a decision to work and support my family. I had one thought in mind, and that was that at least I could pay for my brother and sister's education so that they could make their future secure. But I got lost and ended up in a wrong place. I landed in the red light streets of Mumbai.

"At first, I did not know where I was but one day in the brothel 4-5 goons came inside my room and forced me for sex and then raped me. I fell unconscious and when I got up my whole dress and body was stinking with blood. I could not believe my own eyes when I saw what had happened to me. Then the brothel owner told me to take some rest and said that everything would be 'alright.' Soon, they told me that my work would be attending customers for sex and they also told me that I should work for them until my debt was repaid.

"They told me that the person who brought me to Mumbai sold me for the equivalent of $2,000 USD. They warned me to never think of running away from this place until I had repaid the money."

She concluded by saying, "Finding no one to help me, I thought there would be no way I could come out of the brothel but finally, one good day, an investigator of Indian Rescue Mission came to me and he offered help and today, I am glad that I am rescued from this horrible place. I give my since thanks to the Indian Rescue Mission."

If you wish to partner with Indian Rescue Mission then mail them at: indianrescuemission@gmail.com or visit their website at: www.indianrescuemission.org

* Name of the girl changed for security reasons.