2 minor girl immorally trafficked and police inaction - please act

25 May 2011

 

To

The Chairperson

National Commission for Women

4, Deen Dayal Upadhayaya Marg,
New Delhi-110 002

 

 

Respected Madam,

 

We have conducted fact finding on two incidents where the victim girls have been immorally trafficked as alleged by their family members. Both the victims are reportedly minor by age at the time of the incident. Both the incidents took place within the jurisdiction of Gaighata Police Station, District-North 24 Parganas, West Bengal and bordering area with Bangladesh. The traffickers are known to the family members of the victims. The family members of the victims approached to the said police station with specific allegations of kidnapping and immoral trafficking against the traffickers. The police with regard incident no.1 (stated in our attached fact finding report) refused to take any complaint from the victim's family. With regard to incident no.2 (stated in our attached fact finding report) the police though started one criminal case against the accused person, but even till date could not recover the victim. It is also a matter of fact that with regard to the incident no.2 the police could not complete the investigation even after lapse of almost two years.     

Both the incidents show that the life of the victims is at peril due to indifference and inaction of the police authorities of Gaighata Police Station. This is yet another case of harassment, dereliction of duty and torture by the perpetrator police officials of Gaighata Police Station.

Hence, we seek your urgent intervention in this matter in the following manner:- 

• Concerned police authorities are to be directed to take action immediately to rescue the victims
• An impartial and independent investigation is to be initiated against the perpetrator police officials of Gaighata Police Station and stern judicial action is to be taken against them.
• We demand that a First Information Report(FIR) must be directed to be registered forthwith at Gaighata Police Station against the accused trafficker giving lawful effect to the complaint brought by the victim' family with regard to the incident no.1 and the police must be directed to recover the victim girl and take action against the accused person forthwith.
• We demand that with regard to the incident no.2, the police must be directed to complete the investigation and recover the victim girl forthwith and also lawful action must be directed to be taken against the accused person.  
• We also demand that appropriate charge(s) must be brought against the alleged traffickers under The Immoral (Prevention) Act (ITPA) and the police is to be directed to probe accordingly against them.
• Appropriate rehabilitation and compensation is to be provided to the victims.

 

Thanking you,

Yours truly, 

 

(Kirity Roy)

Secretary, MASUM

& National Convenor, PACTI

 

INCIDENT NO.1

 

 

Particulars of the victim: - Ms. Maya Sarkar (name changed) of village-Tangra, Police Station-Gaighata, District-North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.

 

 

Name of the perpetrators: - The Officer-in-Charge of Gaighata Police Station

 

 

Case Details:-

 

It is revealed during our fact finding that the victim's family is economically insolvent. The family runs on meager income of the victim's mother. The victim's mother stated before our fact finding team that one Ms. Deepali Biswas, daughter of Mr. Ajit Biswas of village-Tangra, Police Station-Gaighata, District-North 24 Parganas induced the victim's mother to arrange a suitable job as a maid servant for the victim in Pune, Maharashtra to improve the economical condition of the family. Thereafter on 18.11.2009 the said Deepa Biswas took the victim to Pune with assurance to look after her properly. But suddenly on 23.12.2009 the said Deepa Biswas informed the family of the victim that the whereabouts of the victim was unknown to her. On the same day the said Deepa Biswas through telephone informed Gaighata Police Station that the victim was missing and the police promptly lodged one General Diary Entry vide Gaighata Police Station GDE no. 1400 dated 23.12.2009. The police thereafter did not initiate any enquiry into the matter and also there has been no attempt from the police to recover the victim.  The victim's family waited for suitable action from the police for considerable period of time but the police have been a mere spectator in this matter. The victim's family soon apprehended that the victim had been trafficked immorally by said Ms. Deepa Biswas by inducing the family members of the victim. The victim family went to Gaighata Police Station to lodge complaint (First Information Report) against Ms. Deepa Biswas for immorally trafficking and abducting the victim. But the police refused to record any complaint against Ms. Deepa Biswas. The victim's mother stated before our fact finding team that the police asked them to bring evidence against Ms. Deepa Biswas on her involvement in immorally trafficking and abducting the victim other wise no FIR could be lodged.  

 

 

INCIDENT NO.2

 

 

Particulars of the victim: - Ms. Kamala Kha (name changed) of village Gadadhapur, Police Station-Gaighata, District-North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.

 

Name of the perpetrators:- The Officer-in-Charge of Gaighata Police Station and the Investigating police officer in connection with Gaighata Police Station Case no. 378/2009.

 

Case Details:-

 

It is revealed during our fact finding that the victim's family is economically in poor condition. The victim's mother stated before our fact finding team that in the year 2006 one Gopal Debnath, son of Mr. Kamini Debnath of village-Panchpota, Police Station-Gaighata offered the victim's mother to provide a job of maid servant to the victim in his house. He also assured to give Rs.1000/- per month to the victim on account of the job. The victim's mother consented to the offer innocently believing the said Mr. Gopal Debnath. Thereafter three months later the victim's mother went to the house of said Gopal Debnath, but she did not find her daughter (the victim) in his house. She asked for her daughter (the victim) to Mr. Gopal Debnath. He blatantly told her that he had no knowledge on the whereabouts of the victim. He even threatened the victim's mother of dire consequences if she again dared to ask the whereabouts of the victim. The victim's mother realized that her daughter has been immorally trafficked by the said Gopal Debnath by committing fraud on them. The victim's mother immediately went to Gaighata Police Station to lodge complaint (First Information Report) against Mr. Gopal Debnath. But the police refused to take the complaint. On being refused by the police, the victim's mother filed application before the several authorities and ultimately the police started one criminal case being gaighata Police Station Case no. 378/2009 under sections 363(Kidnapping)/365(Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person) of Indian Penal Code. But the police did not complete the investigation till date. The police did not recover the victim girl till date. The police also did not arrest the accused Gopal Debnath till date. The victim's family alleged before our fact finding team that the police did nothing in this case.