Abused 17-year-old Bangladeshi girl to return home from India soon
The girl has been in an NGO-run children's home since March 2019
A Vasai court in India, in an exceptional order, issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the repatriation of a 17-year-old Bangladeshi girl, who survived trafficking.
The girl has been in an NGO-run children's home since March 2019, reports Mid Day.
Repatriation is usually not allowed in such cases until the police file a charge sheet. However, the survivor had been stuck in the shelter home, waiting for the police to file a charge sheet — which is supposed to be filed within 90 days.
A distant relative, who claimed himself to be her step-father, brought the girl to Manikpur, Vasai, in November 2017 for tuitions. However, later she was forced into the sex trade.
How She Escaped
In January last year, the girl was taken to a Chennai village by the relative and was forced into the sex trade. One day, she managed to escape and rushed to the nearest railway station. While she was making inquiries about a train, a cop questioned her and took her to the police station.
The girl was then sent to a children's home in Coimbatore and later was transferred to another shelter in Chennai. Eventually, she was brought to the Rescue Foundation, as ordered by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
A medical examination also found her to be seven months pregnant. The Virar police filed a case against the "stepbrother," his wife, and other unknown people upon receiving a complaint from CWC.
The girl delivered a baby. The new-born was given up for adoption.
"The survivor has been in the children's home for one-and-a-half years and waiting to return to Bangladesh. The foundation approached the court for a NOC to facilitate her repatriation. The foundation has arranged for the concerned sanctions for her travel back home," said Advocate Ashley Cusher, the attorney for Rescue Foundation.
"This is an excellent order for a survivor who will be reunited with her family soon. The Sessions Court order sets a good precedent. This order will motivate many people and NGOs working for human trafficking survivors to approach the court similarly."
