The Uttar Pradesh police chanced upon a human trafficking network active in the nation’s capital when a 17-year-old girl was found in a troubled state in Hathras. The girl had reportedly escaped from the clutches of the human traffickers in Delhi and walked 200 KMs continuously for three days, taking short lifts in the way, to reach Hathras—about 794 KMs short of her native in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district.
The passerby and police officials deployed in Hathras suspected something wrong when they saw the girl in the village. When the police confronted the girl, she made startling revelations about the human trafficking network in Delhi.
Hathras SP Vineet Jaiswal said that the girl was rescued on Saturday night after police were informed about the girl. She told them that she is from Togal village of Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh. A week ago, a man in her village took at least 12 girls to Delhi on the assurance that he would get sewing-embroidery work in Delhi.
Girl was held hostage with at least 12 other girls in Delhi
According to the girl’s testimony, she had walked for about 3 days and travelled about 200 KMs to reach Hathras. She told that a man lured the girls to travel with him to Delhi on the pretext of providing employment. For several days, the girls were confined in a single room and not provided with food or water. Troubled with their predicament, all the 12 girls, she informed, escaped the place.
Vineet Jaiswal further added that the girl was unable to tell the exact location where she and other girls were held captive. The girl was distraught and hungry and was walking for the last three days, he said. Jaiswal also said that an investigation has been launched in the matter.
The SP said that the girl has been handed over to the Child Helpline. The girl said, “my family is very poor and needs money. Some villagers advised him to send me to Delhi along with some other girls in exchange for some money,” the girl said.