Girl being held captive" complaint keeps Social Welfare Department on alert
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 04 2024: The Directorate of Social Welfare has made an appeal to parents and guardians ' to verify institutions and workplace with it before sending their wards, especially females in case they receive opportunities offering free education, lucrative jobs and skill training courses etc outside the State.

This, as a report of a girl being held "captive" by a male friend at Hyderabad kept the Department on toes and prompted it to launch a massive search and rescue operation recently.

The girl, now secured, was traced with the help of Karnataka police.

While a Zero FIR was registered at Heirok police station accusing the male friend of "enticing, detaining with criminal intent and sexually harassing the victim", the girl after being rescued claimed she had gone to Hyderabad and later to Karnataka willingly to "earn a living" .

A statement issued by the Directorate of Social Welfare today said it had received a complaint about a "minor girl being held captive and allegedly subjected to harassment by a person from Imphal East at Hyderabad" on April 30 .

According to the complaint made, the girl, hailing from Thoubal district, is a martial artist and she was taken to Hyderabad by a fellow senior martial artist with an assurance to give her a job.

The girl was working in a gym.

After a few months of working, she stopped contacting her family from her mobile phone saying it got damaged.

The girl had allegedly made a frantic call to her mother on April 27 from the mobile phone of the male friend and went silent afterward.

The Social Welfare Department sprung into action and tracked the family of the girl.

While the location from where she made the last call was traced, a Zero FIR was filed at Heirok police station accusing the male friend of "enticing, detaining the victim with criminal intent, sexually harassing her" .

The case was then transferred to Naredmet police station, Secunderabad.

However, further inquiry revealed that the victim and the accused male friend were in and around Belgaum.

Karnataka and not in Hyderabad.

It was also learnt that they had been working in a res-taurant/Dhaba.

The State Social Welfare Department then deputed a team and sought cooperation of the Director, child Protection, Government of Karnataka on May 2 .

The State Welfare Depart ment team led by Deputy Director (CP) K Saroja left Imphal for Karnataka on May 2 .

When the team reached Belgaum on May 3, the girl was traced with the assist-ance of the Belgaum District Child Protection Unit and Tilakwadi police.

However, on interaction, the girl claimed that there was no forceful detention or coercion by the accused male friend as mentioned in a report filed by her mother.

On the contrary, it was disclosed that her mother had full knowledge about their friendship.

The girl claimed they went to Hyderabad together out of their free will to earn a living.

She further revealed she was asked to leave the Hyderabad gym by the owner as he was not satisfied with her work.

As a result, the male friend also decided to leave the workplace.

They then searched for new jobs and finally got it at a Dhaba at Belgaum.

Karnataka.

The two claimed they work and live together with mutual consent.

The girl revealed her mobile phone was being repaired for damage, and hence it had been switched off since April 27 .

The girl appears to have crossed 18 years of age and her family is yet to furnish a credential age proof certificate, said the Social Welfare Department.

While the girl has been handed over to her mother, further investigation is being carried out, said the Department.

Appealing to the people to ensure safety of their children, the Department said it is urging parents and guardians to obtain approval of the Chief Welfare Committee concerned before sending their wards to other States.

For this sufficient processing time should be given to the CWC for verification of the institute where the child is being taken to, it added.

Even in the case of children and adults, especially females, under the care and protection of parents, maximum care should be taken before sending children to some other place outside the State-be it for free education, free coaching, free job/skill training or for a lucrative job, it said.

Proper verification of the.

institute or work place to, which the child/young adults are being sent shall be carried out.

"We shall not forget that human trafficking is a well organised crime that can completely destroy the future of your child or may even lead to loss of lives," said the Department.

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