18 trafficked women rescued in Delhi

New Delhi :  The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Tuesday rescued 18 women, aged 18-30 years, who had become victims of human trafficking. Most of them belong to Nepal.

The Nepal Embassy “is being contacted” for their repatriation.

The Commission, in a statement, said an operation was conducted with the support of Uttar Pradesh Police in Varanasi which had registered an FIR on July 23 on some girls from Nepal were being taken to Delhi to be sold to Gulf countries for prostitution.

An Uttar Pradesh Police team came to Delhi and raided a house in Maidangarhi where the girls were kept, said a statement.

At least 68 Nepali passports were recovered from the house.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal, who was informed about the report, reached the spot and tried to interact with the girls who initially didn’t speak up.

“After counselling, they opened up and said they had been brought to Delhi for jobs,” according to the Commission.

They are poor and belong to the earthquake-affected regions of Nepal. Most of them had lost their homes and families.

Last week, in two separate incidents, DCW rescued 16 Nepali girls who were about to be trafficked to Gulf countries.

Published on: July 31, 2018 at 21:24 IST

IANS