The Crime Branch unit of Delhi police arrested two Nepali nationals in connection with trafficking of North Eastern women on the pretext of offering them jobs in the capital.
The accused Nikhil who carried a reward of Rs 50, 000 for his capture and his associate Rem Bahadur Uchachi alias Dipak used to target girls living separately from their parents and abduct them by luring them for stable jobs.
On August 6, the duo's involvement came to light when an 18-year-old girl from Meghalaya's East Garohills district lodged a complaint against a woman, later identified as Kebi Manda who offered her a job in Delhi.
The victim was first picked up by a woman, Radhika Marak and sent to the capital. In delhi, the victim was promised a job by Manda who handed over the girl to certain Kamal Uchachi, who in a cruel twist, forced the girl into prostitution in Kotlamubarakpur's South Extension area.
"The girl told us how she managed to survive the ordeal and escape from the clutches of her captors," said a senior police official tasked with investigation.
Marak arrested on August 15 but the kingpins of the gang remained at large and continued with the racket.
While investigating on the case, on March 4, the cops managed to trace the duo's whereabouts after they received inputs that Nikhil would come near Anupam Restaurant in Munirka.
"We formed a team which was tasked to identify and arrest the accused. After waiting for five hours, we managed to identify them when the accused contacted his associate. Immediately, he was apprehended from the spot," the official said.
However, his associate, Rem Bahadur bolted in the opposite direction and managed to flee the spot in his car. The raiding team chased him for several kilometres before nabbing him. Later, the duo was produced before a Magistrate on March 5.
During their police custody, they disclosed the names of their associates who used to send them girls for prostitution.
Nikhil had come to India in 2002 and worked in various hotels and dhabas before he came in touch with Biru and Jivan. Following this, they started their own sex racket in South Delhi.
"Several raids were conducted at the possible hideouts of the associates, but soon with the arrest of the accused, their associates ran away. They are still absconding," the officer added.