NEWS ON SHAKTI VAHINI

Rs 1L damages given to raped minor’s father

Posted in SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on October 13, 2012

TIMES OF INDIA

GURGAON: The district administration on Friday presented a cheque for Rs 1 lakh to the victim’s father as compensation for the rape of a six-year-old girl. The unprecedented development came as Gurgaon police arrested one more man who had also allegedly raped the abducted minor girl in the city on Thursday evening. This meant the girl was gang-raped.

The NGO Shakti Vahini, which runs Childline in Gurgaon, lashed out at the administration for announcing the compensation, terming it a ‘populist measure’. Cops produced the man arrested on Friday and the one arrested on Thursday for the rape in a city court, which sent the two in judicial custody. Meanwhile, the victim, who was admitted in the Civil Hospital in an unconscious state, is under observation.

On Thursday evening, 18-year-old Chotu Ravidas, native of Bihar, who was also living in rented accommodation and working as labourer had abducted the daughter of a rickshaw-puller with the help of one Naresh and the two raped her in his room. Chotu Ravidas was caught after his neighbours raised an alarm while Naresh was caught on Friday. The girl was admitted in the Civil Hospital in an unconscious state. Naresh confessed to police that they had gang-raped the girl.

On Friday a team from the child welfare department went to the Civil Hospital and provided a cheque of Rs 1 lakh from the district administration as financial help for the victim. A senior police officer said that according to the doctors tending her, the girl would be discharged in two or three days. In the hospital, the victim’s father, who was very upset, said: “I want death penalty for the accused”.

Meanwhile, the Janwadi Mahil Morcha submitted a memorandum to DC P C Meena condemning the gangrape. Ravi Kant, Shakti Vahini president, said, “Giving compensation is a knee-jerk reaction of the government which is entirely for cheap publicity on the handling of rape cases. A Childline spokesperson added that they would monitor the case further.

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Minor domestic maid sexually exploited by doctor employer rescued

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, FIGHT SLAVERY, SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on October 8, 2012

THE HINDU

Allegedly trafficked from Assam in 2009, she was sold off to a placement agency

A minor domestic help who was allegedly being sexually abused by her employer, said to be a doctor, was rescued from his residence in Punjabi Bagh here over the weekend. Though the police have registered a case, they are yet to make any arrest.

The 16-year-old victim was allegedly trafficked into the Capital from Assam in March 2009 and sold off to a placement agency. She had been working as a domestic help in the house of the accused for the past three years.

Acting on a tip-off that the girl was being victimised, non-government Shakti Vahini and the local police rescued her. During counselling, the victim disclosed that she was brought to the city by one Benoy on the pretext of getting her a job for a year, after which she could go back home to her parents. In the past three-four years, she was not allowed to visit her home town.

“She was not allowed to visit her family even when her father was seriously ill. He later passed away. The girl said she could identify Benoy, but had not seen him for the past two years. She disclosed that he had brought several other girls to Delhi,” said an NGO spokesperson.

The victim told the Child Welfare Committee that her employer had raped her on at least four occasions in the past one year. She was also administered some pills, suspected to be contraceptives, by the employer and his wife. The girl did not reveal about the incident to anyone, fearing no one would believe her and that she would lose her job instead.

Confirming that a case had been registered under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Child Labour Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, a senior police officer said the accused runs a pathological lab.

The victim was working on a salary of Rs.2,000 per month. “She said only Rs.6,000 has been paid to her mother so far this year. The employers would tell her that they had deposited the money in the bank,” said the NGO, adding the girl has been sent to a shelter home.

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Minor molested by home caretaker

Posted in CHILD RIGHTS, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on August 12, 2012

Minor molested by home caretaker

THE HINDU

The caretaker of a child care home has been arrested for allegedly molesting a minor at Inderpuri in South West Delhi. The accused is a native of Uttar Pradesh. Besides working as a caretaker, the accused also looked after the cattleshed at the child care home. The victim, who worked there and assisted the accused in taking care of the cattleshed, was molested continuously by the caretaker.

When the victim could not take the torture any more, she started working elsewhere. However, the accused did not leave her alone even at her new workplace. He visited there regularly and continued to harass her physically and mentally.The victim then brought the matter to the notice of a Non-Government Organisation, which reported the case to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Taking cognizance of the matter, the CWC launched an inquiry. Based on the findings of the inquiry it conducted, the CWC directed the police to register a case. Following this, a case was registered under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code and the accused was subsequently arrested on Friday. Investigation in the case is on, according to the police.

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‘Anti-child labour cells need support’

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on June 12, 2012
‘Anti-child labour cells need support’

‘Anti-child labour cells need support’

INDRANI BASU IN THE TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: Anti-child labour laws and their strict implementation have not been able to contain the problem of child trafficking in the city. Children are still being trafficked from states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Assam to work in factories and households in inhuman conditions.

Industrial estates like Okhla, Wazirpur and Jhilmil Colony see a number of such children steadily working when they are guaranteed free education under the Right to Education Act.

While Delhi Police’s anti-human trafficking cell is over a year old now, and has helped rescue child labourers, there are several areas that need to be worked upon.

Ravi Kant, Supreme Court advocate who is conducting a study on several such cells in Delhi and across the country said, “There is no convergence between the ministry of women and child welfare and these cells and both agencies are working in isolation. The ministry needs to support the work of the police.” Kant’s study will form the India Country Assessment Report for the ministry of home affairs.

“While district level sensitization is going on, the justice delivery system needs to be strengthened. The legal aid system does not properly support the victims right now as the victims have to travel between states and testify in a court. While the travel expenditure is taken care of by the court, the state does nothing to ensure their accommodation,” he said. Many times, the victims and their families do not show up in court due to social stigma. “There is need to conduct these cases over video conferencing to encourage victims to testify. Right now, employers are not getting convicted in a lot of cases because of this,” he added.

Activists also say that the creation of these cells have helped the process of rescue of child labourers. Till April-end this year, 34 cases of child labour have been reported and 149 such children rescued. In 2011, 135 cases were reported and 1,144 children rescued.

Activists say that responsive nodal officers have helped them crack down on employers faster. Increase in registration of cases of missing children is a positive step in this regard. “Each of these state cells are given Rs 35 lakhs per year and a jeep to help them in raids. Video cameras have been provided by MHA for detailed recording of these rescue operations,” said Rishi Kant of NGO Shakti Vahini.

Currently, the cell in each district is headed by one inspector with sufficient number of upper subordinates and supporting staff. “In case of any organized trafficking racket that comes to notice, instructions are that the probe of that case shall be transferred to Anti-Kidnapping section of the Crime Branch for further necessary action,” explained a senior police officer.

While 33 persons – including 22 women – have been arrested under the immoral trafficking (prevention) act already this year, 121 such persons were arrested last year

 INDRANI BASU IN THE TIMES OF INDIA

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Girl rescued from brothel returns from Bengal to depose before court

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SEX ABUSE by NNLRJ INDIA on May 10, 2012
Girl rescued from brothel returns from Bengal to depose before court

Girl rescued from brothel returns from Bengal to depose before court

DEVESH PANDEY IN THE HINDU

Almost two years after being rescued from a red-light area of the Capital, where she was sold to a brothel owner by human traffickers, a minor girl has travelled all the way back from West Bengal to seek justice for the physical and mental torture she was subjected to. Unlike a large number of human trafficking victims, who after being rescued go missing, the girl has come back to depose before a city court as a witness, hoping to see the culprits behind bars.

Vishakha (name changed) also plans to move a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court seeking directions for making mandatory the examination of all the victims like her through video-conferencing, so that they are not made to come in person from far off places to testify in court. “The victim will also approach the apex court for compensation to all victims of sex trafficking. As of now, there is no detailed guideline for compensation in such cases,” said her lawyer Ravi Kant.

The girl who was kidnapped from South 24 Parganas is still living under the threat of being targeted by her kidnappers. “A few days ago, they pelted stones at my house late at night to scare us. My father then lodged a complaint with the local police seeking action against them. They have been regularly issuing threats to me and my family. We are constantly living in terror, because of which I seldom venture out and am unable to even resume my studies. In fact, we have put a photograph of the lady police inspector, who had rescued me, in our house to ward off the traffickers,” said Vishakha.

It was in July 2010 that Vishakha was kidnapped by two acquaintances of one of her friends. “I went out along with my friend to a fair, where two young men joined us. We then went to her residence, where I was kept in confinement and the next day I was forced to board a Delhi-bound train at the Howrah railway station. They took me to the red-light area and handed me over to a woman, who tortured me physically when I refused to comply with her demands,” she alleged. The girl was then raped several times.

Vishakha’s plight only came to light after she narrated her woes to a client requesting him to contact her family. “He informed my parents regarding my whereabouts, following which they contacted the Kamla Market police station,” said the victim. Back home, her parents had already got an abduction case registered.

“The area Station House Officer immediately formed a team and rescued the girl. The brothel owner and another female accused were subsequently arrested. While both the accused are now out on bail, the male accused still remains at large,” said a representative of non-government organisation Shakti Vahini, which was also involved in the operation.

Recounting the harrowing experience, the girl said soon after being rescued from “hell”, she landed up at a shelter home where she was ill-treated by the staff. “A woman officer would scold me often without reason. Apparently they did not have enough plates, because of which three or four of us had to eat in the same plate. We were made to cook food ourselves; the rice provided to us was all rotten and there was not enough water for the inmates,” she alleged.

“In most cases, after a brief stay at shelter homes, the victims are sent back to their family without any State support and they are left on their own to suffer. Most States have no rehabilitation and compensation scheme in place and many victims, a large number of them minors, who have suffered grave fundamental rights violations are left on their own,” said Mr. Kant.

Incidentally, in reply to a question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha, the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday informed that seven girls had been rescued from the red-light area of G.B. Road and eight persons arrested in 2010, 26 victims rescued and 16 arrested in 2011 and 15 girls rescued and four accused arrested so far this year.

Plans to move a PIL for making the examination of all the victims like her through video conferencing mandatory

DEVESH PANDEY IN THE HINDU

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Delhi doctor couple denied bail in maid abuse case

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on April 3, 2012

THE HINDU – PTI – APRIL 3, 2012

A doctor couple, who had gone on a vacation to Thailand, allegedly leaving their 13-year-old maid locked-up and starving in their flat at Dwarka in South West Delhi, was on Tuesday denied anticipatory bail by a court in Delhi.

“Anticipatory bail plea dismissed,” Additional District Judge I.S. Mehta said, declining the relief to Dr. Sanjay Verma and his wife Sumita, against whom look-out notices were issued on April 2, 2012 by the Delhi Police. The anticipatory bail plea made on behalf of the couple, wanted by the police for allegedly employing a child below 14 years of age and exploiting her, contended that the section 26 (exploitation of juvenile or child employee) of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, is not applicable to them.

Appearing for the doctor couple, their counsel told the court that his clients were to return to India on March 31, 2012. A.K. Singh, counsel for Shakti Vahini, a child rights society, which was first informed about the underage domestic aide’s plight and which took up the matter with police, sought to refute the missing doctor couple’s submission. Mr. Singh said the doctor couple has already arrived in Delhi. He sided with the prosecution counsel in opposing the couple’s anticipatory bail plea saying the couple had locked up the minor maid inside their Dwarka flat and left for Bangkok with their daughter on March 25, 2012.

He said the girl could be rescued five days later on March 30, 2012 only after neighbours saw her crying in the flat’s balcony. The girl, who hails from Jharkhand, was taken to the DDU Hospital where doctors said she was on the verge of starvation. The doctor couple had left for Thailand after locking her up and leaving food and water that lasted only for two days, the police had alleged. The police had lodged an FIR against them under the Juvenile Justice Act, Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act and section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of IPC.

The girl had also complained to Child Welfare Committee that she was beaten up by the couple for mistakes and was not paid for her services.

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Rising demand for helps has led to increase in trafficking of girls

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on March 31, 2012
Rising demand for helps has led to increase in trafficking of girls

Rising demand for helps has led to increase in trafficking of girls

HINDUSTAN TIMES

NEW DELHI: The rescue of the 13year-old girl working as a domestic help, has once again highlighted the increasing incidents of trafficking of minor girls to be employed as domestic helps. In this case too, the victim was brought to Delhi from Gumla district in Jharkhand by her uncle’s friend.

“I was brought to Delhi by one Mahadev, who knew my uncle Narayan Sahu. Mahadev handed me over to one Mukesh, owner of a placement agency in Punjabi Bagh. Mukesh asked me to work at a flat in Dwarka,” the victim said in her statement. Police said the trafficking of minor girls had increased since there was a huge demand for domestic helps in Delhi and the NCR. Organised gangs bring minors from Jharkhand and West Bengal and later sell them to placement agencies in Delhi, the police said. There are 2,300 placement agencies in Delhi out of which 325 are registered under the Commercial Establishment Act.

This registration is not mandatory, so not many get themselves registered. “A number of these placement agencies are in Shakurpur in northwest Delhi,” a senior police officer said. Officials of Delhi government’s labour department said that more than 1,000 juveniles — both boys and girls — are rescued from different areas working in different occupations by the government’s task force every year. And the number is only increasing.

“There is an increase in the number every year because there is greater awareness among people that kids should not work and such people inform the police and other departments if they come across such a case. Also, our list now incudes more occupations, in which juveniles are prohibited, and hence our catchment area has increased,” a senior labour department official said.

The official said that each district in Delhi had a task force.

“Kids who are rescued are rehabilitated and repatriated to the home district,” the officer said.“but the unfortunate part is that parents send their kids to work due to their poor financial condition. There have been innumerable examples where parents have sent them back to work again,” the official added.

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Trafficked kids forced into labour, prostitution

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on March 30, 2012
Dreaming child A workshop conducted by an NGO,...

Dreaming child A workshop conducted by an NGO, at Gurgaon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BY ADITYA DEV IN THE TIMES OF INDIA

GURGAON: During the past eight months, Childline (1908) intervened in 182 cases where children were in need of care and protection. The victims included kids trafficked for labour, prostitution and forced marriages. Many of them hailed from villages of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa and Assam.According to the NGO Shakti Vahini, which runs Childline in Gurgaon, over 100 cases were related to trafficking alone, many of which involved prostitution and child labour.Subir Roy, director, programmes and projects, said, “There are about eight cases where FIRs were registered in Gurgaon itself.

In most other cases, complaints were registered in the victim’s home states.”Missing cases followed those of trafficking. Over 30 such cases were reported in the span of the past eight months. Rishi Kant, spokesperson, Shakti Vahini, said, “Trafficked children are promised good jobs in big cities. They fall easy prey as they belong to extremely poor families which find it difficult to get meals twice a day. But life is far from what they are promised. They are made to work for long hours, never get paid and in many cases sexually abused.”

“This is a common story of hundreds of men women and children, who are trafficked on the pretext of a good job in city, Kant added.In a particular incident (in December 2011), one trafficked minor was rescued from Rajouri Garden by a joint operation of the crime branch, Delhi Police and Shakti Vahini. The minor girl was allegedly employed by an illegally run placement agency in Gurgaon. The girl was trafficked along with her minor cousin by one Jairam Urao and they were then sold to a placement agency in Gurgaon. While one minor was rescued, the whereabouts of the other is yet to be ascertained.In another case, Sonia (name changed) was trafficked from Manipur in March last year by one Bikku Rampal and sold for marriage in Gurgaon. The minor girl was rescued by the NGO with the help of Gurgaon Police. The case was registered at the Sekmai police station in Manipur.

During the rescue, the girl was found in a traumatic condition. Four accused – Bikku Rampal, Ashok Damu, Vijay Mahto and Arun Rampal were arrested in the crime.In August 2011, a major sex racket was busted by Childline and Haryana police. The racket was run by a married couple who allegedly bought young women trafficked from various states and forced them into prostitution. Three women were rescued by the police with the support of the NGO.

The gang was busted after one of the victims was spotted by a team of the NGO in the Kamla Market area of central Delhi.She disclosed that she belongs to Bihar and had been brought to the capital about a year ago by her husband. Her husband sold her off to a woman living in Gurgaon for Rs 60,000. Since then she was forced to sex trade. Roy informed Childline also receives local child labour cases along with those related to medical emergency, exam stress and restoration of children to their families.

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DOMESTIC HELP LOCKED INSIDE FLAT

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on March 30, 2012
DOMESTIC HELP LOCKED INSIDE FLAT

DOMESTIC HELP LOCKED INSIDE FLAT

PUBLISHED IN THE HINDU

A 13-year-old domestic help who was allegedly tortured and kept in confinement by a doctor couple in their house at Sector 6 of Dwarka here was rescued by a non-government organisation on Thursday. The area Sub-Divisional Magistrate has initiated an inquiry into the matter.

The victim, who belongs to Gumla in Jharkhand, had been working at the residence of the doctor couple for the past one year. “She was recruited through one Mukesh Kumar, who runs a placement agency. About a week ago, the couple left for Thailand along with their daughter. They locked up the girl inside the house at Hahna Apartments,” said Nishi Kant of NGO Shakti Vahini.

The matter came to light when a domestic help working in the area saw the victim and learnt that she had been kept in confinement for the past six days. The case was brought to the notice of Shakti Vahini, following which a rescue team was sent to the spot. The team members called up the Delhi Fire Service after they failed to break open the lock.

Injury marks

“The fire officials broke into the house and rescued the girl who had injuries, including nail marks, all over her body. She disclosed that she had not eaten for the past three days. We gave her some juice and took her to a nearby hospital for medical examination. The victim disclosed that her employers used to torture her over minor issues. They had installed cameras inside the house to keep a track of her activities. It appears that she was not being paid any salary,” said Mr. Kant.

After the alleged torture of a minor girl by her employers was brought to the notice of the area SDM, he ordered an inquiry. “The employers will be contacted once they are back,” said an official.

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Surgeon Accused of Employing Minor

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, FIGHT SLAVERY, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SEX ABUSE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on March 29, 2012
SURGEON ACCUSED OF EMPLOYING MINOR

SURGEON ACCUSED OF EMPLOYING MINOR

PRERNA SODHI IN TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: A senior west Delhi based cardiologist has been accused of employing a minor at home, and the city’s Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has directed the police to register a criminal complaint against him. Police said a group of volunteers and a team from the Kirti Nagar police station rescued the teenage girl from the surgeon’s Kirti Nagar residence on Wednesday noon.

“Preliminary investigations were done today. We will talk to the girl again. However, we have asked for an FIR against the employer under Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act, relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and the Child Labour Act,” CWC chairperson Neera Malik told TOI at the committee’s Nirmal Chhaya campus.

Guddi (name changed), a native of West Bengal, was reported missing in January this year. It was later learnt that she had been abducted and sold off to a placement agency in Delhi. Acting on a tip-off from volunteers of an NGO in West Bengal, police and members of the volunteer group Shakti Vahini raided the surgeon’s home on Wednesday.

“We had received a tip-off from our partners in West Bengal. They provided us with a number and we asked the police to trace it,” said Subir Roy, director programmes and projects at Shakti Vahini. “After the number was traced to an address in Kirti Nagar, we decided to rescue the child.”

Roy said the minor was made to do household chores apart from taking care of the surgeon’s two children. “The girl says her work hours were from 6am to midnight, and she was not paid,” said Roy. “She was given to the family by a placement agency, which bought her from the abductors in January.”

When TOI called up the surgeon, he admitted to employing the girl but claimed he was not aware of her age. “The placement agency which gave us the girl said she was 17 years old. Thus we never really thought of complaining,” said the surgeon. All attempts to contact the agency failed.

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