Ssangeeta Sharma
New Delhi, Nov 7 (LAB) Taking Suo Moto cognizance of media reports that five of the seven Uzbek women, who were rescued from a sex trafficking racket by the Delhi police in August 2022 went missing from a shelter home in Dwarka Last week, the NHRC has issued a notice to the Delhi Chief Secretary and Police Commissioner and asked them to file a detailed report of the matter within two weeks.
Reportedly, the women were brought to India via Nepal and forced into sex work. In August, seven of them were rescued by the Delhi Police with the help of the Uzbekistan Embassy and an NGO.
The NHRC India issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Govt. of NCT of Delhi calling for a detailed report on the matter along with the action taken report against the shelter home.
The NHRC bench also sought a report from the Commissioner of Police, Delhi about the status of the investigation, recovery of the missing Uzbek women and progress in finding out the conspirators of sex racket in operation in Delhi and nearby places, arrest if any.
NHRC said, “It must be ensured that once the missing Uzbek women are rescued, their health and safety must be protected. ” The report of the Commissioner of Police must also contain the outcome of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Combating Trafficking of Persons in India of NHRC, and its implementation within Delhi NCR region to prevent such repeated offences of trafficking of citizens and non-citizens, girls and women. The Police Commissioner was directed to file his response within two weeks.
NHRC bench observed that the State is under an obligation to protect the life of foreign nationals in the country as it is for its own citizens.
The NHRC directed all the parties to submit their response within two weeks./LAB/SNG/