Now even the hitherto safer mountainous regions of Uttarakhan are no longer safe from human trafficking. Two cases of human trafficking coming to light one each from Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar in less than a month only gives that impression.
In first case, the anti-human trafficking cell of Haldwani arrested a youth along with his mother and their female relative on the charge of making a video clip of a rice Mill owner of Udham Singh Nagar’s Sitarganj to extort money on May 21.
In second case a 20 year old girl of Nainital’s Betalghat block was married to a youth of Haryana in January, 2013 with the help of some middlemen. later as the victim in her complaint to the Nainital district police allegedly said she somehow managed to escape from the clutches of her husband’s family members who were allegedly forcing her for taking up prostitution.
The matter came to light here only when she with the help of a social organisation took up the matter with the Nainital district police on May 7.
Besides, shifting of anti-human traffic cell from Haridwar to Kotdwar following new cases of this menace of human trafficking coming to light from hilly regions of Uttarakhand of late , also gives strength to the belief that Uttarakhand is no longer safe from human trafficking.
There are four cells of anti-human trafficking in Uttarakhand - at Dehradun, Kotdwar, Haldwani and Banbasa, said D l Varma, in charge of anti-human traffic cell Haldwani, while talking to The Pioneer.
long and open border with Nepal on the eastern sector has only come in handy for the human traffickers to continue their anti-human trafficking operations in Uttarakhand. Keeping in view these concerns, one of the four anti-human trafficking cells has been set up at Banbasa.
The Banbasa anti-human trafficking cell looks after such matter of districts like Champawat, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh, Varma informed.
Similarly, the Haldwani anti-human trafficking cells covers Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Almora districts, while the Dehradun anti-human cell unit has to look after Haridwar, Dehradun and Uttarakhashi, he added.
In the meanwhile, the Pauri, Tehri and Chamoli districts come under the Kotdwar antii-human traffic cell, the in charge of Haldwani cell of the anti-human trafficking units further said.
More than half a dozen cases related to human trafficking (most of them reported from hilly regions) have unearthed by the Haldwani anti- human trafficking cell during the past few months, Varma informed.
Since human trafficking is third biggest organised crime after drug and weapons as it involves less risk and more money in less time, therefore, this menace of human trafficking is increasingly rooting deep even in hitherto safer zones like Uttarakhand, maintained the officials concerned.
Hopefully, creating separate wings to deal with human trafficking will definitely help curb the menace of human traffic, Varma added.