Delhi Police arrested a couple and six of their aides for child trafficking and booked them under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, reported India Today.
Saira, 45 and Hussain, 50, ran a “syndicate” that is suspected to have trafficked more than 5,000 girls from Nepal and remote areas of West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Assam, Andhra and other states.
They have reportedly raked in around Rs 100 crore till date, “buying” girls for Rs 50,000 and selling them for up to Rs 2 lakh. The younger the girl, the higher was the price they commanded, the police said.
Once brought to the kothas of GB Road, the girls were often confined in almirahs and tunnels and forced to entertain clients in small cubicles.
Joint Commissioner (crime) Ravindra Yadav confirmed the arrests but refused to divulge any details.
“The arrests have been made under sections 3 and 4 of MCOCA. We will share all details when the operation is over,” he said.
Besides Hussain and Begum, Hussain’s driver Ramesh and “chief manager” Vasu were also nabbed. The four others arrested are Samshad, Shilpi, Mumtaz and Puja Thapa. They were the “nayikas” or handlers of the girls. All the accused have been sent to judicial custody till September 2.
Sources said the crackdown was on and more arrests were likely to be made.
“Saira Begum controlled the racket. It was an extremely organised racket, managed by nayikas, paid managers, their assistants and traffickers. The unchecked inter-state movement of girls is not possible without an active organised crime syndicate behind it,” a police officer said.
Sources said the couple first started operations from one kotha in GB Road but now own at least four, besides other benami properties and shops.
Saira has been arrested in seven cases since 1990 and Aafaq in three cases.
In one case registered in 2001, Saira was convicted for seven years but returned to the trade soon after. In the last ten years, two chargesheets have been filed against the couple.
In March this year, the couple was chargesheeted in two FIRs under sections of rape, trafficking, abduction and criminal conspiracy among other charges.
Police said they had enough evidence, including statements from trafficked girls, to nail the couple.
Sourced from indiatoday.in, Featured image courtesy: metrovaartha.com
