JOIN USSaved by their courage
Seventeen-year-old Reshma, who hails from a village in West Bengal wanted to study and get a white-collar job to improve her family’s financial condition. She never thought that one day she would end up in a brothel in the national capital.
Reshma (name changed) is a trafficking victim, kidnapped from her village and sold off at a brothel in Delhi’s red light area, the GB Road.
She would never forget the fateful day in January, 2013. After studying for long hours she went out for a walk when men on two motorcycles threw a cloth laced with a sedative on her face, which made her unconscious. When she came to her senses she found herself in Delhi.
Two youths later sold her to a GB Road brothel. The days spent in the brothel have left a deep psychological scar on her.
She was forced into flesh trade and was beaten up if she ever objected to it. She was threatened that she would be sold further. She was forced to sleep with four to five customers a day.
One day she mustered courage and asked for help from a customer. The customer informed her family who heard the news with mixed feelings. They were happy that she was alive but were saddened to know what was she going through.
Reshma’s family approached Shakti Vahini, an NGO working against human trafficking. They went to Kamla Market Police station and a rescue operation was conducted in May.
Deccan Herald tried to contact her, but she refused to talk about it as she is still not out of the trauma.
Another such victim is Priya who hails from 24 Parganas in West Bengal. She was trafficked by a 20 year-old youth on the pretext of marriage. Rahul (name changed) confined her in a house in West Bengal for two days and raped her. Then he brought her to Delhi and sold her off to a brothel on GB Road for Rs 30,000.
Priya was forced into flesh trade by two women who run the brothel. Priya too told a customer about her ordeal, and called her home from his mobile phone.
Her family members came to Delhi and approached Shakti Vahini which conducted an operation with police in February to rescue her.
The fast track court convicted three women for pushing two girls into flesh trade in these cases. Additional Session Judge Kaveri Baweja also directed officials to close a brothel under Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
But it wasn’t easy for the victims. During the trial, both of them received threats.
Priya was stalked by some persons, But it was her courage that brought her back to Delhi and she appeared before the court to stand by her statement. She told the court about the threatening calls as well.
Reshma was approached by some unknown person who tried to build pressure on her by offering Rs 1 lakh. But she too continued her fight for justice.