Sex trafficking ring busted in Itanagar, six arrested so far
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According to the FIRs, the girls were lured into working at the restaurant with promises of a monthly salary of Rs. 7,000, free food and lodging, and school admission in Itanagar or Naharlagun.
The girls were initially treated well, but as time passed, they were forced into something they had never expected.
The girls alleged that they were asked to wear short dresses and work until 2-3 am in the morning, and they were allegedly assaulted by unknown drunk men who visited the restaurant.
The FIRs mentioned that Chaya Dullom and Gurung would force the girls to go to one of the isolated cabins of the restaurant, where the drunk men would physically assault and rape them.
Furthermore, it sated that the girls were forced to continue serving at the restaurant for several months. The complainants also claimed that many other girls from their area were subjected to similar exploitation and harassment.
The victims were unable to file a complaint earlier due to fear and lack of support. They had their mobile phones confiscated, and they were also threatened with dire consequences.
However, the trio managed to escape from the restaurant’s custody and was taken to Itanagar Police Station by an unknown Samaritan. The girls were then taken to an NGO, where they were provided shelter and later taken to their respective villages in Longding district.
Speaking to The Assam Tribune, one of the members of the Longding Child Welfare Committee (CWC) said that Chaya Dulom revealed during interrogation that “the three girls were from the 14th season," meaning that they were the 14th batch of girls who had been forced into sex work.
The CWC member also revealed that as many as nine victims have come forward so far, with the youngest being 14 years old.
The CWC member further stated that the girls had to forcefully serve 2-3 customers a day, and sometimes two customers at once, which has led some of them to contract sexually transmitted diseases. “Some are not in a condition to wear their innerwear. We will be taking them all for medical check-ups at a proper health institution tomorrow,” the CWC member said.
Following the incident, the police launched an investigation into the matter and have arrested six people so far. While the police did not share more details of the case, they assured that the investigation is on the right path. The matter is also being investigated by the Longding unit of the CWC and the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS).
