NIA files charge sheet against 12 including 9 Bangladeshis in international human trafficking case

New Delhi, October 18

The National Investigation Agency has filed a charge sheet against 12 people, including nine Bangladeshi nationals, for their alleged involvement in trafficking girls from across the border for prostitution, an official said.

The charge sheet was filed under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and the Foreigners Act in a special NIA court in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Ruhul Amin Dhali of West Bengal, Asad Hasan and Shareeful Shaik of Maharashtra have been named along with Bangladeshi nationals Mohd Yousuf Khan, Bithi Begum, Mohd Rana Hussain, Mohammed Al Mamun, Sojib Shaik, Suresh Kumar Das, Mohd Abdulla Munshi, Mohd Ayub Shaik and absconding accused Abdul Barik Shaik.

The case was originally registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act on September 21 last year at Pahadishareef police station in Hyderabad following the arrest of 10 human traffickers on the same day from two brothels in Hyderabad.

Four young Bangladeshi girls were rescued from the brothels and several digital devices, fake Indian identity documents and other incriminating material were seized, the NIA spokesperson said.

The NIA investigation established that the arrested accused were associates of Dhali and Abdul Barik Shaik who illegally trafficked young girls from Bangladesh to India and vice versa, according to the official.

Dhali was arrested by the NIA in another case. Further probe revealed that there were money transfers between Dhali and Shaik as commission paid to Dhali for trafficking across the borders, the official said.

Dhali and other 10 arrested accused had illegally entered India in the 1980’s and established a prostitution racket along with Yusuf and Bithi, who are husband and wife, in various parts of India, the NIA spokesperson said.

The 12 accused hatched a criminal conspiracy along with their associates in Bangladesh to look for young Bangladeshi girls in the age-group of 19-25 years and traffic them to India by crossing the Sonai river via Kolkata, and then take them to various destinations in India, including Mumbai and Hyderabad, the official said.

These girls are lured with promise of lucrative jobs and better life quality. They are also provided fake Indian identity documents and are eventually forced into prostitution, the NIA official said.

The rescued young girls are presently at shelter homes and the arrested accused are in judicial custody in Hyderabad.

Further investigation in the case was underway. PTI

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