SlaveryMap

Assam, West Bengal, india, India

Ismail Ahmed Age: 32 from Nowagaon in Assam Babita Age: 25 Both of these individuals run an illegal placement agency, Ashok Chand. Ahmed was arrested on May 5 from Shakarpur, while he was allegedly trying to sell a minor girl for Rs 1.5 lakh to a decoy customer. During questioning, Ahmed told police that brokers and agents operating in Assam, West Bengal and areas near the Indo-Bangladesh border would send minors to Delhi with promises of a better life. Once here, they would be handed over to an illegal placement agency run by Babita. Seven minor girls and boys, employed as domestic helps, were rescued during the operation — conducted with the help of NGO Shakti Vahini. The traffickers followed two different modules. "Children between the ages of 11-15 were placed in domestic households. Those above 15, especially girls, were sold off in Delhi and Haryana. Girls brought from Bangladesh were promised jobs in modeling agencies. Extreme poverty often led their parents to accept the agents' propositions,'' said an officer. It was revealed that the children had no knowledge either any salary was being paid to them or being sent to their parents for the household work they performed. Most of them had no contact with their parents after coming to Delhi. "The agent was paid a sum of Rs 20,000 to 25,000 by Babita for each minor child. She in turn charged Rs 20,000 to 35,000 from the employer where the children were employed as an initial payment. Then an agreement of 11 months was drawn up with the employer for payment of monthly salary. The monthly salary that was paid was also misappropriated by Babita and it never reached their parents," Mr Chand said.

Location
India · Assam, West Bengal, india · 2011 (location generalized to protect survivors)
Response & intervention
The Crime Branch, which carried out the arrests, has rescued seven girls and two boys from them. The accused told the police that there are at least six brokers and agents operating in Assam, West Bengal and the Indo-Bangladesh border who procure minor children on the pretext of providing them better lives in Delhi. The children are handed over to the illegal placement agency called Babita Enterprises. "We have identified five out of the six brokers. Babita's husband Praveen is the main accused who has fled to Punjab. Once we nab him we will get the names of other agents too,'' said an officer. Crime branch officers said that a number of placement agencies in the Shakurpur area are now under their radar. "Most of them have no licenses and there are repeated complaints against them from NGOs. We are planning to approach the child and women welfare department to find solutions", said the officer. All the rescued children were medically examined and sent to Children Home, Nirmal Chhaya/Salam Balak Trust as per the direction of Child Welfare Committee. The trafficked children recovered are from Assam, West Bengal and Indo-Bangladesh border. The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant IS presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/two-arrested-for-human-trafficking-nine-rescued/792272/ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Traffickers-in-police-net-9-minors-rescued/articleshow/8398382.cms http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20110518/1752493.html

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