NEW DELHI, July 19 – In a major breakthrough in the drive against human trafficking, Delhi Police have apprehended one of the kingpins of the racket, Munna Chaudhary, who is the owner of a placement agency. At least nine minor girls have been rescued.
An Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Crime Branch under ACP MS Bisht and overall Addl DCP (Crime), PS Kushwah on July 13, based on inputs from Assam Police and accompanied by a team of Shakti Vahini – NGO, raided the premises of Rajdhani Placement Agency at Rajouri Garden, Delhi.
At least three minor girls were rescued in the raid. Munna Chaudhary (41) owner of the Rajdhani Placement Agency was arrested and subjected to intensive interrogation. He disclosed that he has been running the placement agency for the last six years. He procures minor girls through brokers and agents from rural areas of Assam and after being brought to Delhi, they are employed as domestic help, sources said.
Chaudhary hails from Paneri in Udalguri district. He shifted to Delhi in 2004 in search of employment. He started Rajdhani Placement Agency in 2005. A team of police officers from Paneri has already arrived in Delhi, in this connection.
Choudhury has been booked under Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act and Indian Penal Code.
The minor girls had no knowledge about their salary and they had no contact with their parents after coming to Delhi. All the girls expressed their willingness to go back to their parents. All the rescued minor girls have been sent to Nirmal Chaya on the directions of the Child Welfare Committee.
Six more girls have been rescued. All the girls are residents of Assam. All of them were produced before the Child Welfare Committee and have been sent to Nirmal Chaya.
Investigations revealed that brokers and agents of the placement agency indulged in trafficking of minor children from Assam and West Bengal and brought them to Delhi. These brokers and agents contacted poor parents of the children and won their confidence and then lured them by promising a better future for their child and money to them in the form of salary. After being brought to Delhi the minors were handed over to the placement agency.
The agents were paid Rs.12, 000 per girl, as commission by the placement agency. The placement agency charged Rs.20, 000 to 25,000 from the employer for providing the girls as domestic help. Thereafter they also collected the salary of the child but it hardly reached the parents.
Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini said Choudhary is a prized catch and one of the top human trafficking operators to come out of Assam and establish himself big time in the national capital. He blamed lack of inter-State coordination for rise of such human traffickers.
