Trafficking trail: 27 agents booked, but only 4 arrested

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, June 2

A preliminary investigation by the Punjab Police into the Oman human trafficking case revealed that the accused travel agents had promised work permits to the victims, but instead took them on tourist visa.

Most of the 27 agents booked over the matter were operating illegally. Of the 16 women rescued from Oman, 13 have got FIRs registered. The police have so far arrested only four accused two in Bathinda, one each in Moga and Ferozepur. Official sources said it was feared that many had fled abroad. The police were in the process of issuing lookout circular against the absconding accused, they said.

Two victims one from Fatehgarh Sahib and another from Amritsar Rural had expressed unwillingness to get FIRs registered. A case in Amritsar city is still under investigation. The police have set up an SIT to probe the cases. Ludhiana Range IG Kaustubh Sharma is the nodal officer for hassle-free registration of cases and Ferozepur SP (D) Randhir Kumar is heading the probe.

IG Sharma said, “Of the 13 FIRs, five have been lodged in Ferozepur, four in Hoshiarpur and one each in Ludhiana Rural, Moga, Bathinda and Nawanshahr.” The FIRs have been registered under Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professionals (Regulation) Act and Sections 420 and 346 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC.

Talking to The Tribune, the son of a victim from Nawanshahr alleged, “My mother was promised permit to work in Oman. The agent told us that she would be getting Rs 30,000 per month. But after her tourist visa expired, she worked at different places and her earnings were confiscated by a woman agent from Ferozepur. My mother suffered immense hardships for eight months before she was rescued.”