Advertisement

Arrest of an activist working for a non-government organisation (NGO) for his alleged involvement in human trafficking of 13 Nepalese women in Maharajganj district on Thursday has put a question mark over the very genuineness of such agencies involved in the eradication of the menace.

This worker, arrested along with a policeman, was working for the NGO Manav Sewa Sansthan.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Maharajganj, Amitabh Thakur told HT they had received an anonymous call about trafficking of some women from Nepal. The call, which informed the police that women were being trafficked to a Gulf country, was made to the Thuthibari police station.

The cops laid a trap and rescued 13 women (both married and unmarried). They were with the two men, who carrying Nepali passports.

Thakur said one of the accused Krishna Murari Pandey allegedly had taken Rs 15,000 in Nepalese currency and had arranged their trip.

Thakur said Pandey was an employee of the above-mentioned NGO, which got financial help from various UN agencies. The NGO is also facing an investigation following an FIR lodged three months back under the PITA Act. 

Primary investigations revealed that a police constable Heera Mani was also involved in accepting money from the Nepalese group. Another woman constable, who was deputed on the check-post in the concerned area, was also arrested for her mysterious disappearance from the duty. It was later established that she helped the two accused, the SP added.

Rajesh Mani from Manav Sewa Sansthan said Pandey was working with the NGO for the past four years. He said the police had framed fake charges against Pandey as a few of the senior officials had differences with him.