NEWS ON SHAKTI VAHINI

No medical test of minor tortured by doctor couple

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, FIGHT SLAVERY by NNLRJ INDIA on August 31, 2012

ADITYA DEV IN THE TIMES OF INDIA

GURGAON: In a case where a doctor couple was booked for employing a minor girl as a domestic help on Monday, the police are yet to get the medical test done of the victim to determine her age. Also, no arrest has been made so far. Childline (1098), which was part of the rescue team, said the medical test should have been conducted within 24 hours of the complaint. Gurgaon child welfare committee (CWC) is looking into the matter. The victim has been given shelter at a local children’s home. Rishi Kant, spokesperson of NGO Shakti vahini, which runs Childline in Gurgaon, said according to rules police should have arranged a medical check-up immediately. “Somehow police here are very lax in cases related to child rights. Had it been Delhi, the medical test would have been done within hours, said Kant.

When asked, investigating officer Abhay Raj said, “The victim was taken for a medical test on Thursday, but the chief medical officer was not available. Now, the test will be done on September 4. We will make arrests only after the girl’s age is verified”.

The Haryana chief minister and Union human resources development (HRD) minister are visiting city on September 3 and apparently the administration is busy preparing for the event. Kant claimed the Gurgaon CWC ensures that issues related to child rights are handled with due care. When informed about the delay in medical test, CWC member Sunaina said she would look into the matter. However, later on, she could not be reached despite repeated attempts.

Earlier, a teenager, a native of Gumla distrcit in Jharkhand was rescued jointly by Childline, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Gurgaon from the house of a doctor couple in the city. The Sector 4 residents, have been accused of employing a minor girl and torturing her. An FIR has been registered under Section 23 (punishment for cruelty to juvenile or child) and 26 (exploitation of juvenile or child employee) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

“The victim was not allowed to speak to her parents. She didn’t get any money in return of her work. And whenever she requested to go back to her home, the couple would beat her,” said Kant.

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Couple held for torturing domestic help

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, FIGHT SLAVERY, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on June 16, 2012

Gurgaon, June 14 / TRIBUNE NEW DELHI

The police has arrested Amit and Geeta, who were living in a rented accommodation in Sector 57 here, on charges of torturing and confining their domestic help, Sonu, (name changed), a teenaged boy from West Bengal.The couple was produced in a local court, which released it on bail. Sonu was allegedly trafficked from his native village in West Bengal and employed as a domestic help through a Delhi-based placement agency, to which he was reportedly sold.The boy alleged that his employers used to lock him up inside the house, thrash him and deny him proper food. “They did not allow me to talk to my family members, nor did they pay me anything,” he maintained.

On Tuesday morning, Sonu managed to escape from his employer’s house and reached Vasant Vihar in New Delhi on foot. He was standing near a house there when a security guard spotted him. On being approached by the guard, the boy narrated his tale of woes.The guard called up the Delhi Police. The Vasant Vihar police got the child admitted to Safdarjung Hospital and informed the Gurgaon police.

The Gurgaon police took custody of the child after he was discharged from the hospital yesterday. After reaching Gurgaon, the Gurgaon police apprised Childline of the matter. A team from Childline counselled the child and arranged for his shelter at a children’s home. The Childline Shakti Vahini team is trying to get the boy reunited with his family in West Bengal.

Couple held for torturing domestic help

Couple held for torturing domestic help

Couple held for torturing domestic help - EXPRESS

Couple held for torturing domestic help -EXPRESS

Couple held for torturing domestic help -TIMES OF INDIA

Couple held for torturing domestic help -TIMES OF INDIA

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State in a fix: Who to hand over children to?

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on May 8, 2012
State in a fix: Who to hand over children to?

State in a fix: Who to hand over children to?

ADITI TANDON IN THE TRIBUNE

Even as investigations are on into the modus operandi of Superna Sethi, who ran the now shut Gurgaon shelter home where minors were sexually abused for over a year, the district administration today faced an altogether new challenge. “Who should the children be handed over to?” was the question that baffled the state government authorities, which met here today to discuss the way forward for around 19 girls that resided in the shelter home in Wazirabad.

After reports of exploitation of children came out, parents of at least five girls turned up at the meeting called by Gurgaon’s Deputy Commissioner today to seek custody of their children. None of them however had the proof that children belonged to them.

“Unless we know for a fact that the child being pointed to is the biological child of the parent concerned, we can’t hand him or her over to that parent. We have ordered a full fledged home verification of each child to ensure they don’t land in unsafe hands,” the district authorities told The Tribune. The social activists who are part of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights team probing the case today said the predicament was strange and unheard of.

“This is what happens when you allow systems to run without any modicum of monitoring. The owner of the shelter home was housing children in an ad hoc manner. She has no proof of which child belongs to whom. Tomorrow if children were to go missing from this place, there would be no accountability of anyone. Parents who came today were returned because they could not furnish any proof of the children belonging to them. In the absence of proof, the state is obliged to keep the children,” said Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini.

The children have now been housed in another Gurgaon shelter home called ‘Aarushi’ run by the Salam Balak Trust.

ADITI TANDON IN THE TRIBUNE

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Raped maid rescued in Gurgaon

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SHAKTI VAHINI, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN by NNLRJ INDIA on April 20, 2012

IANS NEWS

A minor girl working as a domestic help raped by two men on several occasions was rescued Thursday from Sushant Lok area in Gurgaon by activists of NGO Shakti Vahini, police said. One of the accused, a driver, was arrested. The 16-year-old girl from Punjab, employed at school teacher Nansy Singh’s house, said in her complaint that she was last raped a week ago, police said.

She was raped by 24-year-old driver Sandeep and another man living in the same neighbourhood. Sandeep was arrested. District child protection officer and Sahkti Vahini’s executive director Nishikant recommended to police to file a case for rape and under the Juvenile Justice Act, a police official said.

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Girl alleges rape forced miscarriage by placement agency owner

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, SHAKTI VAHINI by NNLRJ INDIA on April 18, 2012

SHALINI NARAYAN IN THE INDIAN EXPRESS

She winces at the thought of the trauma she went through over the past five months in a city that was alien to her. She was allegedly raped and threatened by her placement agency owner who brought her to the city for employment as a domestic help.

On Friday night, it was only after she started bleeding profusely and was rushed to a nearby clinic by the agency owner that the 18-year-old realised she was pregnant and was going through a miscarriage.

The girl told police that the agency owner had made her take some pills after she informed him about her pregnancy, which led to the miscarriage. The man, identified as Rajesh, took her to the hospital and disappeared thereafter, police said.

 Police are now on the lookout for him and two of his associates, one of whom runs a separate placement agency in Chirag Dilli, Southeast Delhi.

 According to police, the girl, who hails from Gumla district in Jharkhand, was brought to the city five months ago by a woman named Kunti Devi, also from Gumla.

The victim told Newsline: “Kunti Devi came to my house last year and told me that she would take me to Delhi and find me a job. She brought me to Delhi. Kunti was quite well known in the village as she has brought several girls to the city,” she said.

Here, she was taken to ‘Rita Placement Agency’ in Aligaon. The agency, she told police, was being run by a man named Rajesh. “Kunti is Rajesh’s wife and as soon as we reached the agency, she left for our village,” the girl, who has studied till Class IV, said.

“I was made to stay in a room with 14 other girls. We were sent to various houses to work as domestic help and do daily chores,” she said. However, the girl said she was never paid. “We were told we would be given our salaries, but till now, I haven’t received anything,” she said.

 Two months into her stay in Delhi, Rajesh called her to his room. “He stays at the agency itself. He raped me and told me never to disclose the incident to anyone,” she said.

“I kept quiet as I was afraid he would hit me. Later, I learnt that he had raped another girl who he brought from Gumla. When she tried escaping, he thrashed her badly,” the girl said.

The girl said she worked simultaneously for another placement agency in Chirag Dilli, run by a man named Pancham. “We would alternate between the two agencies whenever there was shortage of helps,” she said.

 The girl, who has worked in two houses in Gurgaon and Faridabad as a help, said she was ill-treated by her employers as well.

 Rishikant, who runs Shakti Vahini, an NGO which rescued the girl, said, “We received a specific input that a tribal girl was brought to a clinic for an abortion. We met her and it was during counselling that’s she revealed her story. We have contacted the Resident Commissioner of Jharkhand and have requested the Mahila Samakhya (under the HRD Ministry) in Jharkhand to verify the girl’s address.”

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Meghna Yadav said, “A case has been registered at the Sarita Vihar police station. The matter is under investigation.”

SHALINI NARAYAN IN THE INDIAN EXPRESS

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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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Soon, a roof for homeless kids

Posted in Uncategorized by NNLRJ INDIA on November 15, 2011

TIMES OF INDIA

GURGAON: On the occasion of Children’s Day, the district administration announced the setting up of the first children’s home in the city. At present, rescued children who require rehabilitation and protection are either taken to Rohtak or Karnal. The decision was taken during a meeting of administrative officers and members of Childline (1098), organized as part of the “Childline Se Dosti” campaign aiming to make a million “dosts” (friends) and raise awareness about child rights.

Deputy commissioner P C Meena said, “We are looking for a plot or a building for this purpose. Very soon there will be a children’s home in the city.” The new shelter home will accommodate children, especially girls who need medical care, protection from abuse and counselling assistance. Nishi Kant, executive director, Shakti Vahini, an NGO, which runs Childline, said, “This step was long awaited and will provide the much-needed respite to children.”

“The DC has asked us to get in touch with the state’s Department of Women and Child Development. Our organization will work in close coordination with the government on this project,” Kant said.  On Monday, a group of children appealed to the district administration for institutionalizing the Child Welfare Committee in Gurgaon. “There is need to set up an office for the office-bearers who can hear cases daiy, said an NGO member.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Soon-a-roof-for-homeless-kids/articleshow/10739248.cms

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Campaign to make Gurgaon Child friendly

Posted in CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, SEX RATIO, SHAKTI VAHINI, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN by NNLRJ INDIA on November 15, 2011

Children Home to be set up in Gurgaon soon

A group of child survivors of various difficult circumstances have appealed the Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon for institutionalizing the Child Welfare Committee in Gurgaon. The group has come forward to get the issues related to child rights prioritized in the city. The Deputy Commissioner assured the team for the sitting of the five members Child Welfare Welfare Committee in Gurgaon soon. In the meeting of the officials of all the district administration organize by the Shakti Vahini, CHILDLINE in the DC office today the Deputy Commissioner also felt the importance of a Children Home in Gurgaon. He suggested Shakti Vahini team to get in touch with the Department of Women and Child Development, Govt. of Haryana. The Deputy Commissioner said, “Shakti Vahini is one of the competent organization to run a children home in Gurgaon, so the organization can take the initiative and work in close coordination with the Govt.” “The CHILDLINE, Gurgaon is doing wonderful work in Gurgaon for the best interest of the children in need of care and protection as Children are the vulnerable section of our society and we should do whatever we can to help our society grow as a healthy society” he added.

The meeting was organized as a part of the CHILDLINE LINE SE DOSTI Campaign aims to make million dosts attended by Sub Divisional Magistrate, Chief Medical Officer, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, District Child Welfare Officer and the officials of other department.

During the CHILDLINE LINE SE DOSTI campaign Shakti Vahini is also reaching out to the Residents Welfare Organization in Housing complexes for a campaign on zero tolerance for Child Labour. Nishi Kant , Executive Director  Shakti Vahini, who will be heading the programme, said, “Our team of counsellors will visit all the concerned stakeholders and co-ordinate and sensitise the officers as to how to sensitively handle cases of child abuse and child rights violations.”

Mr. Kant said “During the period of 2011-12 (April-September) CHILDLINE, Gurgaon has intervened 126 cases of Child in need of care and protection. We have conducted many rescue operations of the child labourers in the brick klins, dabhas, tea stall and other business establishments with the help of the Labour Department. Out of these 216 victims, most of them have already been united with the family and the rest are in the children homes. The victims are from different states of India. The states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Orissa are highly prone to child trafficking. As a part of this project we are providing direct assistance like medical, shelter, protection from abuse, repatriation, death, missing children, intensive counseling, On phone like emotional support and guidance, information and referral to services for the caller, information about CHILDLINE, and long term rehabilitation of the needy children.”

Shakti Vahini has also done two police sensitization programmes on Child Rights during the last one year. Shakti Vahini is working very closely with Police department to make Gurgaon Child Friendly. In this regards the organization is also taking the support of Citizens Groups like the Pedal Yatri and different Resident Welfare Organizations.

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Cycling miles to spread smiles

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, FIGHT SLAVERY, GENDER, JUVENILE JUSTICE, SEX ABUSE, SURVIVORS, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN by NNLRJ INDIA on August 9, 2011
INAGURATION OF THE CHILDLINE VEHICLE

INAGURATION OF THE CHILDLINE VEHICLE

HINDUSTAN TIMES

A group of cyclists are on a mission to spread awareness against child abuse. They are pedalling to raise funds so that children from the economically weaker sections could be provided education. Meet the Team T3 cycling group – Manas Arvind, Dr Chiro Mitra, Jasbir Singh, Nitish Bajaj and Sayantan Chakraboti who have taken up the noble cause. All acheivers in their own right, they say they want to contribute for the welfare of the future leaders of the country. Arvind, a businessman by profession, said, “Cycling is our passion but now it is our mission. Sometimes people bid saying if we cycle 200 kilometres, they would contribute Rs 200 and that’s how we are generating money.”

Dr Mitra, a veterinary surgeon, said, “We ride miles to bring smiles. We just need to open our eyes and realise that there are many children who are being exploited.” Members of the organisation feel that though the police department has introduced a child helpline number (1098), many people are still not aware. “We also have a Facebook group. Presently, we have 50 members who have started cycling with a mission,” Arvind added.  In February this year, the group cycled from Gurgaon to Ajmer and raised funds to purchase a rescue vehicle for Shakti Vahini, an NGO.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cycling-miles-to-spread-smiles/Article1-731468.aspx

COMBAT CHILD LABOUR CAMPIAGN

COMBAT CHILD LABOUR CAMPIAGN

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Three young women rescued

Posted in ANTI TRAFFICKING, CHILD RIGHTS, FIGHT SLAVERY, GENDER, SEX ABUSE, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN by NNLRJ INDIA on August 5, 2011
THREE YOUNG WOMEN RESCUED - SHO SUSPENDED

THREE YOUNG WOMEN RESCUED - SHO SUSPENDED

THE HINDU

A married couple who allegedly bought young women trafficked from various States and forced them into prostitution have been arrested and three of the victims rescued by the police in coordination with a non-government organisation. Some more persons are suspected to be involved in the racket.

The gang was busted after one of the victims was spotted by a team of NGO Shakti Vahini in the Kamla Market area of Central Delhi on Wednesday morning. She disclosed that he belonged to Bihar and had been brought to the Capital about a year ago by her “husband” soon after they were married. Her “husband” then sold her off to a woman living in neighbouring Gurgaon for Rs.60,000 and vanished from the scene. Since then she was forced into sex-trade.

A couple of days ago she was sent to a client, to whom she narrated her plight and sought his help. He gave her some money to buy a ticket home.

More girls in captivity

The victim purportedly disclosed that some more girls had been kept in captivity by the pimp in a house in Gurgaon. The NGO representatives reported the matter to the area Station House Officer. They contacted senior Gurgaon Police officers following which a team led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police raided the house where the victims had been kept.

The police rescued two more girls and arrested Kavita and her husband Mukesh. “Kavita, who had bought the victims, lived there along with her family. One of the victims was sold to the accused for Rs.40,000 about three months ago and the second one, who is from Chhattisgarh, was brought about 10 days ago. The couple were operating for the past decade,” said Nishi Kant of Shakti Vahini, adding that one of their accomplices from Rewari in Haryana was absconding.

‘Cop involved’

“One of the victims has disclosed that an area police officer also abused them physically. It has not been mentioned in the First Information Report. We suspect that statements of the victims were not recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which is admissible as evidence. We will apprise the court of these facts,” he said. The accused have been sent to judicial custody.

It is learnt that after the racket was smashed, the area Station House Officer has been placed under suspension.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article2324454.ece

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