DCW busts trafficking racket, 3 minors rescued

In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Sunday, busted a trafficking racket, after receiving a call on their helpline number 181, in East Delhi. Three minors were rescued by the DCW with the help of the police.

The search started after the commission received a call from the parents of the minors from Jharkhand, who alleged that their two children were missing since last three years. The two girls, aged 12 and 13, and another minor boy were rescued from a placement agency in East Delhi.

The DCW mobile helpline team after getting a call laid a trap and called the trafficker to meet at the Akshardham metro station, where the alleged trafficker was caught with the help of the police. She then revealed the location of the minors to the police.

An FIR has been registered under Sections 370 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 75 Juvenile Justice Act in Mandawali Police Station. The placement agency owner was also arrested.

The commission learned that the arrested placement agency owner and the trafficker have been running this business for a long time and earlier too, several minors have been rescued from the place. It was also revealed that the minors had not been paid for their work and even on the papers, their monthly salaries were fixed between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500.

The minors were not allowed to go out of the employer houses and were not even allowed to contact their parents.

"It is shocking that minor children are not only trafficked but also employed by educated affluent people. They are severely abused and not paid any dues. Unregulated placement agencies are running unabated in Delhi and many of them are organised rackets for human trafficking. A strict law needs to be put in place to regulate the activities of these placement agencies.

Delhi Police also needs to establish inter-state coordination and create intelligence networks to save thousands of minors trafficked every year. Moreover, strict action against such employers is also urgently required," said Swati Maliwal, DCW chief.