Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 21: Dondi Bai Chimanu Bajari (20), daughter of Babu Chimanu Bajari from Haliyal in Uttara Kannada district, who had gone missing after leaving her hometown to work in Kaico fish mill at Ullal, presented herself before the police personnel of Haliyal station on Monday March 20. Suneeta Dulu Bichchakale from Yallapur, who had secured a job for Dondi Bai in the city and who had escorted Dondi out of her native place, also accompanied her. Both of them have sought protection from the police.
Dondi Bai, who works at Ullal, was to visit her native place for Holi festival. As she did not come, and did not give any reasons for being absent, her close ones had called her over phone. Dondi had not received the call. They then called Suneeta, who had taken Dondi Bai with her with the promise of providing her a job, but Suneeta too failed to respond to the call. The family members became apprehensive and started to frantically search for Dondi Bai in Ullal. They also visited Ullal police station on Friday morning seeking police intervention, as they suspected that Dondi would have become a victim of human trafficking racket of which they felt Suneeta would have been an agent.
Dondi Bai Chimanu Bajari
Suneeta Dulu Bichchakale
As the incident got attention state-wide, the Ullal police checked the location of the two cellphones. They found that both the phones were at Kotekar Madoor. When the police visited the rented house where the two resided together in the evening, they learnt that both of them had left their home on Sunday evening. When they checked the location again, it showed the phones to be covered by towers at Udupi and then Goa.
On Monday morning, both the ladies reached Haliyal police station, where a missing complaint stands lodged, and sought protection. Both of them said they work for Kaiko fish mill at Ullal and reside at a rented house at Madoor. Dondi Bai said she chose not to visit her native place for Holi festival as she was worried that her family members might pressurize her into getting married. They said they were overtaken by tension as media gave wide coverage to the news which said both of them had gone missing. They therefore boarded a train bound for their native place. As they were apprehensive about the chances of getting beaten up by her relatives, they said they had approached Haliyal polcie station, police sources said.
A public meeting is being held at Haliyal on March 25 in this connection. Social worker, Samuel, said that the meeting will discuss the topic and adopt a resolution making it compulsory for ladies from the area going out for work to register the same with the authorities in the interests of their own security.