NIA charge sheets four human traffickers from Jharkhand

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 27

The anti-terror federal probe agency NIA said on Saturday it has filed a supplementary charge sheet against four human traffickers from Jharkhand under various sections of IPC, Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act.

A spokesperson in the agency said the NIA in its charge sheet, which was filed in a special court in Ranchi today, has named Panna Lal Mahto alias Ganjhu, Sunita Devi (absconding), Gopal Oraon, and Shiv Shankar Ganjhu.

 “During investigation, it was revealed that Panna Lal Mahto, the kingpin of human trafficking racket, along with his wife Sunita Devi was operating the network in the guise of six placement agencies in Delhi. They used to traffic poor and innocent minor boys and girls from Jharkhand on the pretext of providing them jobs in Delhi and neighboring states. But, the victims were exploited and were never paid the promised remunerations,” the spokesperson said.

 Later two other accused—Gopal Oraon and Shiv Shankar Ganjhu, both residents of Khunti district of Jharkhand—were arrested in connection with the case, the NIA official said, adding that both were close associates of the kingpin Panna Lal Mahto and were actively involved in trafficking vulnerable persons from Jharkhand.

 “Investigation has also revealed that both were owners of three Placement Agencies in Delhi, involved in human trafficking racket. Another accused Sunita Devi is absconding. In order to unveil the racket, 22 victims have been identified, rescued, and examined till now.” The official said.

The case was initially registered by Jharkhand Police in Khunti on July 19, 2019, in which the accused Panna Lal Mahto was arrested for running a Human Trafficking network in Jharkhand and New Delhi. NIA later took over the investigation in the case June 13, 2020.