Minor help abused: Firm placed at least 250 girls since 2018

Since 2018, at least 250 minor girls were placed in various homes in Delhi-NCR as domestic helps by the same placement agency that sent a 17-year-old girl to the home of a Gurugram couple, who were arrested last week on charges of torturing, abusing and sexually harassing her at their flat in New Colony, investigators said on Tuesday

Since 2018, at least 250 minor girls were placed in various homes in Delhi-NCR as domestic helps by the same placement agency that sent a 17-year-old girl to the home of a Gurugram couple, who were arrested last week on charges of torturing, abusing and sexually harassing her at their flat in New Colony, investigators said on Tuesday.

Minor help abused: Firm placed at least 250 girls since 2018

Following the arrest of the couple -- Manish Khattar and his wife Kamaljeet Kaur-- Gurugram police also arrested the placement agency owner Arun Kumar Turi of Jharkhand and his associate Manish Nag on charges of human trafficking.

Police also searched the placement agency office in Delhi’s Raja Garden and recovered data pertaining to at least 250 girls who were allegedly trafficked from remote and poor villages of Jharkhand to work in Delhi-NCR homes. Investigators said they have leads on at least 15 girls and are currently working on rescuing them from homes in Delhi, Gurugram, Panipat and a few towns of Uttar Pradesh.

Police said the relatives of these girls took a commission from the placement agency owner to put these girls to work as domestic helps, said police.

Manoj Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (Udyog Vihar), said Turi and Nag have been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. Police have recovered data from Turi’s office which indicates that girls were placed in different cities. “We have served a notice to Turi’s wife asking her to join investigations as the placement agency was in her name and she had signed a few contracts with families of girls. Also, we have traced three girls to Chandigarh, Panipat and Delhi and are trying to rescue them and record their statement,” he said.

Kumar said Turi started the agency in 2014 and used to earlier run the firm as a partnership. He used to visit remote areas and convince family members to send their children to work and assured them prompt monthly payments. “He was already involved in two child trafficking cases but he identified more than 300 villages in many districts and states and each time he was caught, he would come out on bail and start from scratch. He has been declared a proclaimed offender by Jharkhand and Bihar courts. We have recovered forms and documents of bank accounts of girls he had placed with families,” he said.

The suspects allegedly told police that families in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand were forced by poverty to hand over children to traffickers to earn money and support families. Since there are very few job opportunities in their villages, they are forced to send children to distant cities such as Gurugram, Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad. Police said as these cities have a large number of working couples, the demand for domestic help at cheap rates was huge.

Police said Turi set up a network in cities close to Delhi and used to visit residential colonies to distribute pamphlets to promote his business. He used to charge ₹30,000 for placing a minor girl and ₹20,000 for placing an adult. “The demand of minors was more as their salary expectation was low as compared to experienced people. He was also providing housekeeping staff to commercial buildings and earned a good amount of money,” said an investigator, asking not to be named.

Pankaj Kumar, sub-inspector of anti-human trafficking unit of Jharkhand, said they have traced the older sister of girl who was allegedly tortured and abused by the Gurugram couple.

“The victim’s sister was found working in Delhi’s Subhash Palace. She is fine and had no issues with the employer. She met her mother and sister at the hospital. We are waiting to record the victim’s statement in court after which we will return to Jharkhand with the victim and her mother,” he said.

Kumar said cases of children from Jharkhand being forced into domestic labour in Delhi-NCR are numerous. “Most of the placement agencies in Delhi operate by claiming that they are registered but none of them is operating legally. Employing anyone below the age of 14 years is a clear violation of the anti-child labour laws and simply illegal. Police from Gurugram, Noida and Delhi should start a crackdown on such placement agencies as they are involved in illegal activities,” he said.

Nishi Kant, executive director of NGO Shakti Vahini, an organisation that works in the field of women and child rights, said they have requested the deputy commissioner to provide a compensation to the victim so that she and her family get some financial redress. “Victim’s uncle is not yet arrested. He had lured the victim and handed her over to the placement agency man. There are chances that he might influence the minor to record her statement in favour of the suspects and that will weaken this case,” he said.