The annual report on human trafficking happening in various police stations of the State, especially in Garhwal Range, revealed that there has been a rapid increase in cases related to missing of persons and trafficking of women and teen-aged girls for the past many years.
Around 330 cases of missing persons were reported in various police stations of Garhwal region in 2014 so far.
However, only five cases of human trafficking in 2013 and four cases in 2014 have been reported in anti-human trafficking cell of Garhwal Range established by the State Government at Kotdwar and Haridwar.
Statistics revealed that women and teenage girls are being transported in other States, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, with the traffickers luring them with the offer of jobs or arranging marriages.
In the past, some cases of trafficking of women and teenage girls had come up from two or three villages of Chamoli, Uttar Kashi and Rudraprayag districts of Uttarakhand.
In order to train the police personnels on how to solve the registered cases of missing persons in the anti-human traffic cell, a one- day long refresher course on human trafficking was hosted for police personnel held at Garhwal Range office on Monday, said Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sanjay Gunjyal.
He reviewed cases related to human trafficking with the police officers and policemen.
He expressed disappointment with the slow pace of works involving the police personnel deputed at the Cell and directed them to take measures for swift redressal of registered cases of human trafficking.
In the reviewing meeting, it was revealed that cases of human trafficking were reported from two or three villages of Chamoli, Uttar Kashi, Rudraprayag districts. In these villages, women and teen-aged girl were transported in other States.
These women are not in contact with their parents or there is no information of their location since their marriage.
In the training programme, the policemen were acquainted with the Centre’s guidelines on how to deal with human trafficking cases and the victims’ rehabilitation.
He further said that the police men will be assigned with the tasks and their performance at the cell they are deployed will be reviewed every week. Teams will be deployed in the villages where human trafficking cases were reported in the past. They will interact with the Pradhan and chowkidar to get the details of the missing persons and action will be taken accordingly.
Teams will perform pre- rescue protocol, rescue operation and post- rescue protocol. With the help of non- government organisations, the victims will be rehabilitated.