New Delhi/Ranchi: The Special NIA Court in Hyderabad has delivered a major verdict in the 2019 human trafficking case, sentencing nine accused, including eight Bangladeshi nationals, to life imprisonment. The court has also imposed a total fine of ₹1.37 lakh on the convicts. In case of non-payment of the fine, they will have to undergo an additional three months of simple imprisonment.
The case was related to an alleged international human trafficking network that brought Bangladeshi women to India by promising them good jobs and attractive salaries and later forced them into prostitution.
Action Taken in September 2019
In September 2019, Telangana Police launched an operation and rescued three Bangladeshi women from a brothel in Jalpally village, Hyderabad. Another woman was rescued from a house in Mahimood Colony, Balapur.
Considering the seriousness of the case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigation on October 12, 2019, under Case No. RC-03/2019/NIA/HYD. During the investigation, the accused linked to the trafficking network were identified. Subsequently, the NIA filed a charge sheet against 12 accused persons on October 17, 2020.
Nine Accused Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
The court convicted the nine accused under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Foreigners Act, 1946, and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The convicts are:
- Ruhul Amin Dhali (A2)
- Mohammed Yusuf Khan alias Md. Imran (A4)
- Bithi Begum alias Khadija Sheikh (A5)
- Imamul Gazi alias Md. Rana Hussain (A6)
- Mohammed Al Mamun (A8
- Sajib Sheikh (A9)
- Suresh Kumar Das alias Sagar (A10)
- Md. Abdullah Munshi alias Abdul Sarkar (A11)
- Md. Ayub Sheikh (A12)
