DAILY NEWS

Mary and I came across this article as we read the morning paper in Amristar.......

India Tribune Newspaper September 15
INTERNATIONAL SEX RACKET BUSTED
13 Girls, 2 Agents Arrested From 2 Hotels
Amristar, September 15

A Civil Lines police team busted an international sex racket here today.

According to police information, 13 girls in the age group of 18 to 22 were arrested from two city hotels along with two agents.

Declaring themselves as Plaa dancers’ troupe, they were scheduled to fly to Dubai tomorrow from Amristar International Airport.
On a tip-off, the police party, led by ACP (Crime) Avtar Singh and SI Jasvir Singh of Civil Lines police station, raided the hotels in plain clothes and nabbed two persons, Kishore Kuer and Arvind Kumar, originally hailing from Mumbai. They have allegedly engaged these girls from Mumbai, Delhi, Orissa and Punjab and were about to go to Dubai under the garb of dancing group.
“In interrogation, the girls confessed to having been involved in illegal sex trade through their agents with consent. It was found that their agents used to operate from New Delhi Mumbai on regular basis and Amristar was their destination for the first time to catch flight abroad. Their past records revealed that they used to send girls to entertain rich people in India, too, on regular basis,” said Avtar Singh.

“Their passports have been confiscated. The occupation slot mentioned them as ‘artistes’. They would be produced before the court and investigation is on. Though exact amount has not been calculated, yet a huge sum of foreign currency and several mobile phone sets have been confiscated from them.” he added. A case under the Immoral Trafficking Act was registered.

September 23 India Telegraph newspaper - Letter to the Editor

DAUGHTER VANISHES - West Bengal

Human trafficking should be made into a culpable offence, to be condemned alongside such evils as drug peddling, child labour and dowry. The state police recently disclosed that 2,500 teenaged girls have disappeared from Bengal in one year (“Missing: 2500 girls in a year”, Sept 18) This is just the official figure. How many more have vanished is anybody’s guess. Jahura Bibi is an exceptional women since she had the courage to move court after her daughter, Zarina, went missing from Kakdwip in Sougth 24-Parganas. Who will fight for the rest of the girls who disappear?

Impoverishment and illiteracy are the chief reasons why traffickers flourish in rural areas. Non-governmental organizations must play a leading role in combating this social menace. The state government should instruct gram panchayats to always be on the lookout for suspected traffickers and to file periodic reports in local police stations. The Telegraph has done a marvelous job by reporting the case of Zarina, who now has some chance of being rescued and brought back.
Yours faithfully,

Debasish Banerjee, Calcutta