Human trafficking rampant in Baksa; 5 people trafficked

BAKSA: In a recent case of human trafficking reported from Baksa district, five people, including two minors from Dihira village under Nikashi outpost, were trafficked after being lured with the promise of a job.

They were trafficked by one Madhu Maji and his wife Lakhi Maji in 2019 and taken to Tamil Nadu to work in a factory. "We were told we will get ?10,000 per month. They took us to West Bengal and then to New Delhi. From there they took us to Tamil Nadu, where we used to work for 12 hours or more sometimes. We were not given proper food and were sometimes beaten if we refused to go to work. The factory owners used to ill-treat us and we were not paid a single penny. We somehow managed to escape and return to our village with the help of the police there," said one victim on condition of anonymity.

The incident was brought to light by Assam Centre for Rural Development, an NGO working on human trafficking, child rights in Assam. A case was subsequently registered in Mushalpur Police Station. "Human trafficking is rampant in Baksa. We get cases almost every month, but most cases go unreported due to lack of proper information furnished by the victims. The victims are mostly from poor families and have no idea they have been trafficked, until they stop getting money to send back to their families. The trafficker in this case is known to the victims. He has been taking many people outside the village with the promise of good jobs and a better life. It is important to arrest such persons to set an example because people are ignorant. It is an issue that needs to be addressed with utmost priority, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the livelihoods of people," said Prerna Changkakati, Executive Director, Assam Centre for Rural Development, stated a press release.

Also read: Women trafficking: Police detain five persons in Lakhimpur district

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