Hyderabad: Nearly five years after an international human trafficking racket was busted in Chatrinaka, a sessions court in Nampally convicted six Bangladeshi nationals, including two women, on Wednesday. The court awarded life imprisonment to all the six convicts.
In 2019, two Bangladeshi women were rescued by Prajwala, a city-based NGO. Based on the statements given by them, the National Investigation Agency along with Telangana police conducted searches in Chatrinaka and nabbed three Bangladeshi nationals who were behind the racket.
Based on a chargesheet filed by NIA, the court, after conducting a trial, convicted six Bangladeshi nationals: Mohammed Yousuf Khan, Bithi Begum, Sojib, Ruhul Aamin Dhali, Khonla Justin, and Shivli Khatoon.
The six convicts were awarded life term on the charge of section 370 (trafficking of person) of the IPC. Apart from this, they were also convicted on other charges, including violation of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act. Ever since the accused were arrested, they were in judicial remand.
“This was the first human trafficking case NIA has ever taken up. Since it was taken up by the agency, which has pan-India jurisdiction, they could go to the roots of this network, which was in Bangladesh, and destroyed it,” Prajwala’s Sunitha Krishnan told TOI.
The victims gave their statements before the court against all six convicts. Subsequently, they were repatriated to Bangladesh from Benapole border in Sept 2021.
