Facilitating flesh trade
SHILLONG: A few victims of illegal flesh trade from city were called to Silchar on Monday to identify the police personnel who were facilitating the flesh trade involving minors there.
It was on January 20, 2012 that four Meghalaya girls including a minor who were trafficked and forced into the flesh trade in 2008, were rescued and two women arrested from a brothel at Radhamadhav Road in Silchar in Assam after a raid conducted by a joint team of Meghalaya and Assam police together with the CSWO.
Later, the National Human Rights Commission had taken note of the complaints of the harassment of girls at the brothel in Silchar.
On Monday, the victims were called to identify the police personnel before a Judicial Magistrate of Cachar district.
The victims managed to successfully identify the police personnel from a group of more than 15 men who were brought.
Earlier, the investigating officer (IO) had charge sheeted only two persons identified as Gita Singh and one Raju, son of one Ranjit Pal who is also staying in the brothel compound.
But the IO did not name in his charge-sheet the two police personnel and others who the victims could have identified if the IO had asked them to identify.
The CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing appreciated the decision of the SP Cachar who stressed that identification was carried out as per NHRC guidelines.
NHRC had also given instructions in this regard to the SP following the complaints by Kharshiing on behalf of the victims.
The CSWO demanded that the brothel should be closed down as it has destroyed the life of many children who are trafficked and forced into the sex trade, while hoping that justice will be given to the victims.
