A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Hyderabad has delivered life imprisonment sentences to six individuals involved in a 2019 human trafficking case. The case involved the trafficking of Bangladeshi girls into India, where they were coerced into prostitution. The convicted include Mohd Yousuf Khan, Bithi Begum, Sojib, Ruhul Amin Dhali, Mohammed Abdul Salam alias Kounla Justin, and Sheela Justin alias Shiuli Khatun. Each has been found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act, 1986.
According to the NIA, the accused exploited promises of lucrative jobs and fair compensation as a ruse to lure the victims across the border and into lives of exploitation. The court’s decision, issued on Wednesday, also includes a penalty of Rs 24,000 for each of the accused. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional 18 months of simple imprisonment.
The plight of the trafficked girls came to light following a rescue operation conducted by Telangana Police at a residence in the Kandikal Gate area of Uppuguda, Hyderabad, in August 2019. Initially registered at Chatrinaka police station, the NIA took over the investigation in September 2019, leading to the filing of a charge sheet against four of the accused in March 2020 and a supplementary charge sheet against the remaining two in August 2020.
