Delhi police rescued 16 women trafficked from Nepal

With the help of the police, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) rescued 16 women, who were allegedly trafficked from Nepal and were about to be taken to Gulf countries, from southwest Delhi’s Munirka area, the police said today.

The Delhi Police refuted Maliwal’s claims and said the women were not victims of trafficking but were cheated by people who had promised them jobs.

Maliwal said the women were lured to Delhi by traffickers, saying they would be given good jobs. She alleged that the women were to be sold to buyers in Iraq and Kuwait and. Seven women from Nepal were sold to traffickers in the two countries a fortnight ago, she said.

“We have been told that out of the seven, two were sent to Iraq while the other five are in Kuwait. One among them became pregnant there,” said Maliwal, alleging the house where the foreign women were locked was just 500 meters away from the Vasant Vihar police station.

“I wonder why DCW gets to know about it and the Delhi Police never knows about these activities,” she said.

The DCW chief said around 7 pm on Tuesday, she received a tip-off from an NGO named Key Nepal that 16 women were illegally trafficked into the city and they were being sent to foreign countries.

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“I along with my team members reached the house in Munirka where the women were held, hostage. We took police assistance and rescued the women. All of them are now at a shelter home. Efforts are being made to send them back to Nepal,” said Maliwal.

All the rescued women are from impoverished places, including an earthquake affected district in Nepal.

The Delhi Police, however, refuted the DCW’s allegation that the rescued women were illegally brought to Delhi and kept in the flat against their will.

“We have registered a case of cheating and forgery because the women were promised jobs but were not given even after staying in the house for last 20-25 days. We are looking for the cheats and the person who is in the possession of their passports and other documents,” said Devendra Arya, deputy commissioner of police (southwest).

The police said these women were brought to Delhi by a Nepali man who also stayed in Munirka. He had allegedly kept the passports of these women with him.

A case has been registered in the matter, the police said, adding that a search is underway to nab the Nepali man.

“Human trafficking will continue to happen in our country and Delhi will remain a hub until Delhi Police’s accountability is set. I have appealed to Union home minister Rajnath Singh time and again to take out time for Delhi and hold at least two meetings every month with L-G, Delhi police chief, chief minister and DCW,” she added.