NEW DELHI: In a dramatic rescue operation, a 16-year-old girl was freed from a prostitution racket operating out of Dwarka, Delhi.
An anonymous source tipped the Dwarka Police team of the Delhi Police about the prostitution racket. According to the police, the raid was conducted by the Dwarka Police following critical intelligence provided by the Association for Voluntary Action. The victim, Tara (name changed), revealed harrowing details of being trafficked nearly a year ago and forced to attend to eight to ten clients every night under constant threat and coercion.
Tara shared that she was lured into the racket by a friend who introduced her to a man promising to solve her financial problems. However, once she realized the truth and attempted to escape, she was blackmailed with explicit videos recorded
without her consent.
“My friend introduced me to a man who promised to help me earn a lot of money. I had no idea what I was getting into. By the time I understood the reality and wanted to leave, they started threatening me. They said if I tried to escape, they would release my videos,” she said.
Living with her alcoholic father who remains unaware of her ordeal, Tara would leave home around 5 p.m., telling him she worked at a call centre, and return the next morning after being forced to entertain multiple clients.
She was given only Rs 500 occasionally and not even as regular compensation. When she complained of pain, she was merely handed painkillers and sent back to work.
The rescue was orchestrated after a month-long undercover operation by the NGO team, who posed as customers to gain the traffickers’ trust.
Manish Sharma, Senior Director of Association for Voluntary Action, said, “Our team posed as customers and got in touch with the linchpin. After advance payments and several location changes, we finally informed DCP Ankit Kumar Singh who swiftly acted.” The accused shifted the location last minute to a flat in Mohan Garden where the police found alcohol bottles, antibiotics, and painkillers. One accused, Ibrahim has been arrested; officials suspect wider trafficking network exploiting children trafficked from Bihar, Jharkhand, Northeast, and Bengal.