Russian, Bangla women rescued from trafficking

Visakhapatnam: A 30- year- old woman from Bangladesh came to Mumbai on a tourist visa three months ago. While exploring various interesting places like any other tourist, she was accosted by a charming man.

Following conversation, she accompanied him to his place. That night changed her fate. After exploiting her sexually for more than a week, he sold her to a pimp and disappeared. The pimp later sold her to an agent in Kolkata and then passed on to broker in Visakhapatnam. While she was in a resort in Rushikonda, the task force personnel rescued her and sent her to rescue home.

Highlights:

• Vizag home for runaway girls
• 60, including a Eamcet ranker, saved in last eight months

`We have approached the collector as her tourist visa will be expiring this month end,’’ said home organiser V Sanyasi Raju. Deputy secretary from Women and Child Welfare department, New Delhi SR Meena also came down to the city and making arrangement to send her home, she added.

Not only the woman from Bangladesh, three girls from Russia were also rescued by the police and they are awaiting help from their embassies.

The local agents are not only exploiting the local girls but also getting women from Russia and Thailand. Some are also being sourced from Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Back home, Ragini (name changed) who found a friend through Facebook ran away from home and reached Visakhapatnam. After spending three days, the boy sold her to a pimp and returned to his home town in East Godavari. Malathi a B-tech third year student became pregnant after she was cheated by her boyfriend. Not having enough guts to tell her parents, she came to Visakhapatnam and gave birth to a baby girl in a rehabilitation centre for girls at Chinamusidiwada.

Chandini, a brilliant student expecting a high rank in Eamcet, ran away with her boyfriend to Bangalore and from there to Vijayawada.

Finally she came to her home town Vizag. She ran away from home fearing her mother andhas been given shelter in the rescue centre at Akkayyapalem . But now she hasrealised the mistake she committed and has decided to appear for NEET and seeking funds through online.

Not one or two, there are about 25 young girls rescued from either prostitution or from the streets. All the girls are majors and in their teens. Of them 10 are orphans.

The Women and Child Welfare Department officials said they are taking care of two pregnant girls unmarried and cheated by their friends. One pregnant woman in advanced stage escaped from the home and her whereabouts are not known.

There are two rescue homes in the city, each housing 60 women. Women and Child welfare project Director G Chinmayidevi said that they are frequently meeting these women and instilling confidence in them to lead a normal life after they are freed from the rescue homes.

Meanwhile they are also being trained in candle making, tailoring and other basic skills. `We are also trying to trace their addresses so that they can be handed over to their parents whom we will also counsel,’’ she said.

By Jatlee Dontala