The Tribune, January 18, 2005

No trace of missing girl
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, January 17
A teenaged girl from Nainital district of Uttaranchal has become the latest victim of the mafia involved in trafficking of young girls, which is active in the Mewat region of the state. Though a hunt was on to trace the girl, who was allegedly abducted about two months ago, the kin of the victim have now sought the help of an NGO to trace the girl. The Election Commission and the National Commission For Women were also being approached for help in this connection.

Mr Bhushan Bist, brother of the girl, who had been here to seek help from the Shakti Vahini, an NGO based here, to get the victim rescued, said he had been running from pillar to post for the past about two months, after his sister, aged around 19, was ‘abducted’ by a person identified as Adil, a resident of Kairaka village, located in the Nuh subdivision of the Gurgaon district. Hailing from Ameen village of Nainital district, he said he had contacted senior officials of the administration and the police of the area, but to no avail. The girl, he said, had been abducted after the accused, working as a driver, lured her by false promises of marriage.

He said the victim was told that he had been earning more than Rs 25,000 a month, besides having a good house here. But, he claimed, the accused was already married and was the father of two children. He was residing in a jhuggi in the village. The girl might have been sold off as such a network was already in existence here, Mr Rishikant of the Shakti Vahini said. Alleging that the police had not been cooperating properly, he said no FIR had been registered so far, despite a search warrant was procured by the NGO to conduct a raid. He said an officer of the DSP rank of the police had admitted before him that there were a large number of such girls present in the Mewat area. However, he expressed unability to take any action. The NGO has announced to take up the matter with the Resident Commissioner of Uttaranchal in New Delhi, besides requesting the Election Commission to direct the police to trace the girl and arrest the accused.