Dibya Bordoloi
Guwahati: In a sensational incident, Assam police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) rescued 42 children from the West Bengal-Sikkim border. The rescued children aged between 9 to 18 years were taken by a human trafficking racket from 4 villages of Chirang district of Assam and were engaged as domestic help in various households of Sikkim and West Bengal border areas. In a joint operation by Chirang police,CID Assam and Sikkim police in various locations of Sikkim-West Bengal border areas, the children were rescued on Wednesday and brought back to Guwahati.
The main kingpin of the human trafficking racket Krishna Yogi and his driver has been arrested by Chirang police. On his confession before police Yogi told the whereabouts of the children. On the basis of his information police recovered these 42 children. Kingpin Krishna Yogi further revealed in front of the police that he has sent at least 80 children to various places of India from 4 villages of the Assam-Bhutan border villages to work as domestic help. The recovered children were produced in front of Children and Women Commission (CWC) Chirang before they were taken to Guwahati to meet the Chief Minister.
After meeting the recovered children at Staff College Guwahati CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the arrested human trafficker Krishna Yogi lured the parents of these poor children that they will be provided free education and a better life. But after getting the custody of these children the racket sends them to various households as domestic help for money. This human trafficking racket has sent few children to Dubai also, the CM revealed. Arrested kingpin Yogi is involved in human trafficking for the last two years. The police are investigating the whole matter.
Dr Sarma further stated that in the last two months Assam police has recovered at least 107 women and children from human trafficking racket. Some of these rescued women were found in the brothels of Kerala and Bihar. Police estimated that at least 2000 women and children were taken out of the state by these trafficking rackets. He further said Assam police will continue its operations against human trafficking rackets along with drugs and cattle smuggling. The Assam government will soon formulate a state policy to deal with human trafficking cases, the CM said. The 42 recovered children will be kept in Kokrajhar under police watch and the future course of action will be taken according to CWC instructions.
