Daijiworld Media Network – Palghar
Palghar, Aug 12: A 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl rescued from a sex racket in Maharashtra’s Palghar district has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by at least 200 men over a span of three months, police said on Monday, adding that her statement is being verified.
The minor was rescued on July 26 after the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar Police, along with NGOs Exodus Road India Foundation and Harmony Foundation, raided a flat in Naigaon, Vasai. Six of those arrested and three of the five rescued victims, including the girl, are Bangladeshi nationals. Two of the accused women, aged 32 and 33, are suspected of facilitating her illegal entry into India.
Police said the victim was earlier trafficked to Nadiad in Gujarat, where she suffered abuse. Harmony Foundation president Abraham Mathai stated that the girl had run away from home after failing a subject in school and was lured across the border by a woman acquaintance who pushed her into the flesh trade. Mathai demanded that all the men involved be traced and arrested.
Officials suspect the girl may have been given hormonal injections to induce premature puberty. Human rights activist Madhu Shankar said such cases often involve minors kidnapped as infants, raised by traffickers, and later forced into sex work.
MBVV Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik said efforts are underway to dismantle the entire network and protect vulnerable teenagers. Police said the victims were trafficked to several locations, including Navi Mumbai, Pune, Gujarat, Karnataka, and other states.
The main accused, Mohammad Khalid Abdul Bapari (33), allegedly coordinated the trafficking operations, while agents Juber Harun Sheikh (38) and Shamim Gafar Sardar (39) arranged their movement to various cities. Police also revealed the girl was sedated and branded with a hot spoon to force her compliance.
Raids are ongoing to nab others linked to the racket. A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Juvenile Justice Act, Foreigners Act, and Passport Act.