Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of the state Crime Branch has initiated the process to deport the women held in a sex racket here last month.
The STF had busted the racket involving Bangladeshi women following the arrest of the kingpin Ruksana Begum alias Anjali Didi and her husband Sk Ibrahim from Danagohiri in Pipli January 21.
The investigating wing of Odisha Police also arrested several associates of the kingpin couple who was running the racket from the old town area.
In a press note, the STF revealed that seven out of the eight ladies rescued during the raid hail from neighboring Bangladesh while one victim belongs to Kolkata in West Bengal.
The STF also informed through the note that four accused persons including Ruksana and her husband Ibrahim are currently lodged in the jail after court sent them to judicial custody in STF Police Station case (7/20).
The eight victims were brought to Odisha without any valid documents on the pretext of providing them jobs here. They were provided with fake Aadhaar cards and were engaged in flesh trade.
The victims of trafficking were produced before the SDJM court later. Later, STF handed over the victim from Kolkata to her parents while others were shifted to Swadhar Gruha (Correction Home) as per the directions of the SDJM court.
Meanwhile, the STF also started the process for the repatriation of the rest of the victims of illegal human trafficking.
As per the note, “For the rest of seven victim girls, the process for repatriation to their home country (Bangladesh) has already been initiated by STF as per the provision and guidelines of Government of India, Ministry of Home affairs (Foreigners Division). The process has been laid down in line with the SAARC convention and UNODC (United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime) of which India is a signatory and emphasizes on Victim centric approach in these cases.”
The STF officials have moved the Ministry of External Affairs (Consular Division) in New Delhi in order to ensure early deportation of the victims. Subsequently, the nationality and other details of the victim girls will be verified with the Bangladesh High Commission in India who can issue travel permit for victims.
“Once travel permit is obtained some legal and administrative formalities will be accomplished before the victims are handed over to BGB (Border guard Bangladesh) through BSF (Border Security force),” STF officials said.