NIA court sentences 6 to life imprisonment for trafficking of Bangladeshi girls

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Hyderabad has sentenced to life imprisonment all six accused in a 2019 human trafficking case of Bangladeshi girls who were forced into prostitution after being smuggled into India.

The accused, identified as Mohd Yousuf Khan, his wife Bithi Begum, Sojib, Ruhul Amin Dhali, Mohammed Abdul Salam alias Kounla Justin and Sheela Justin alias Shiuli Khatun, have been found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act, 1986, according to a statement issued by the NIA on Thursday.

NIA investigations had revealed that the accused lured Bangladeshi girls with the promise of lucrative jobs and decent pay, and trafficked them into India, where they were forced into prostitution, said the statement.

The special court, in its orders passed on Wednesday, also imposed a fine of Rs 24,000 on each accused, it said.

In the case of default of payment, the accused will face an additional 18 months of simple imprisonment, the statement said.

The Telangana Police had registered the original case at Chatrinaka police station after rescuing five girls from a house in Kandikal Gate area of Uppuguda, Hyderabad, during an operation in August 2019.

The NIA took over the probe and re-registered the case on September 17, 2019.

The agency had filed a charge sheet against four of the accused on March 10, 2020, followed by a supplementary charge sheet against the remaining two in August 2020.