Chennai: A 26-year-old Bangladeshi woman, who fled her country amidst ongoing riots, found herself trapped in a web of deception and forced into prostitution by her Facebook boyfriend. The young woman, now in police custody, had illegally entered India with the hope of escaping violence in Bangladesh, only to be pushed into the flesh trade by the very man she trusted.
According to reports, the woman, identified as Shakila (name changed), entered India illegally to meet her boyfriend, Mohammed Yasin Mia, who resides in Agartala. Desperate to escape the lawlessness in Bangladesh, Shakila hoped for a peaceful life in India. Upon her arrival, she stayed with Mia for ten days in Agartala, during which Mia forged documents to make it appear that she was an Indian citizen. The couple then moved to Chennai in search of employment, but Shakila had no idea that her nightmare was just beginning.
Mia, who had been running a prostitution racket with his associates Kapil and Ramki, rented a house for them in the Adambakkam area of Chennai earlier this month. Shakila, unaware of Mia’s criminal activities, believed that he intended to marry her and help her settle in the city. However, her search for a legitimate job proved fruitless, and Mia and his associates began pressuring her to enter the prostitution business.
Exploiting her vulnerability—her illegal status in India, the forged documents, and her unfamiliarity with the local language and geography—Mia and his accomplices coerced Shakila into the sex trade to cover their daily expenses. Initially, she resisted their demands, but under immense pressure, she eventually relented.
What followed was an ordeal that left her mentally and physically shattered. Forced to sleep with customers day and night, Shakila found herself treated like a commodity. Her mental health deteriorated as the relentless exploitation took its toll. Desperate to escape, she expressed her desire to return to Agartala, but Mia reportedly locked her inside their rented house whenever he left.
Shakila finally found an opportunity to flee when Mia forgot to lock the door before leaving. Seizing the moment, she escaped the house and took an auto-rickshaw to the Guindy police station, where she recounted her harrowing experience. She informed the police about her illegal entry into India, the forged documents, and how Mia had forced her into prostitution.
Guindy Assistant Commissioner of Police D. Vijayaramulu immediately directed the Velachery police to register a case. A police team, led by Inspector Vimal, arrested Mia at the Adambakkam residence. However, Mia’s associates, Kapil and Ramki, remain at large.
During questioning, Mia admitted that Shakila was from Bangladesh, and police verification with Tripura officials confirmed that her documents were indeed forged. As a result, Shakila was also arrested for entering India without valid documentation and for her illegal stay in Agartala.
Both Mia and Shakila were produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody. While Mia faces charges related to human trafficking and forgery, Shakila’s future remains uncertain as she faces charges for her illegal entry into India. The police are continuing their search for Mia’s accomplices, Kapil and Ramki, who remain at large.
