GANGTOK, September 14: A police team led by Superintendent of Police Dr. MS Tuli, ASP KD Shangderpa, PI Sadar Thana Tshering Sherpa, SI Sudha Basnet and SI Renu Chettri rescued seven girls from Tadong and Syari at around 9:30 this evening.
The Police team was accompanied by Doma T Bhutia, legal consultant, Human Rights Law Network, Sikkim.
According to the rescued girls, one Vidur Rai had lured them with promises of giving exorbitant salaries ranging between Rs 50-60000 in five star hotels in Goa and Mumbai. The girls were also asked by Rai to pay Rs 5000 per head for flight tickets. They were strictly asked by Rai not to carry salwar suits but to carry lot of cosmetics and pants.
Reliable sources, on the other hand informed that a total of 12 girls were supposed to leave for Goa and Mumbai tomorrow morning.
Interestingly, the racket took a different turn when one of the girls doubted Rai’s tactics and suspecting a big racket, contacted the police immediately. On the pretext of paying Rs 5000 for the flight ticket, this girl called Rai at MG Marg in the Capital today. And as planned, the Police team nabbed Rai this afternoon.Speaking with journalists, the legal consultant of Human Rights Law Network said this was entirely a case of human trafficking. “Gauging by the promise of giving exorbitant salaries of Rs 50-60000 in five star hotels to those girls who neither can speak good English or Hindi is downright false promise,” she said.
Police have registered a case of immoral traffic against Vidur Rai and others. The Police team have also assured to rescue rest of the girls within 24 hours. The other five girls are suspected to be in and around Gangtok.
