AIZAWL:The three main accused in the forced prostitution of four Mizo girls in Mumbai were awarded prison terms after the Kolasib district court on Saturday convicted them in the human trafficking case.
The court of chief judicial magistrate of Kolasib district sentenced Zodingliani, 27, aliases Tedingi and Rosy, to seven years’ imprisonment and her husband-accomplice Sabit Hasta Thapa to one-year imprisonment.
The court also convicted Gopal Dhaka Mondal, who runs a prostitution racket in Mumbai, to six-year imprisonment.
The trafficked girls, who were rescued by Mizoram police in two separate raids, had said they were in Guwahati during the end of last year looking for jobs and were brought to Mumbai from the northeastern city by a Mizo woman Zodingliani and Mandal in the beginning of this year.
Mandal reportedly bought the Mizo girls from Zodingliani and again sold them into sex trade. The girls were promised jobs in beauty parlours.
The incident came to light when one of the four girls called up her parents and informed them of the situation they had been forced into.
A case was immediately filed in Kolasib police station and a special team set up to rescue the girls.
The special police team rescued two of the girls on and arrested Zodingliani and her husband on June 21 and rescued the remaining two later on June 29.
The prostitution racket kingpin Gopal Dhaka Mondal was arrested by Mumbai police on June 27 and the court granted the Mizoram police to trial him in Mizoram.Sources said, Mondal will serve his jail term in Mumbai while the wife-husband duo will serve theirs in Mizoram.
Three of the victims are from Vairengte under Kolasib district while one is from Lunglei. (UNI)