Ferozepur SP to head SIT on trafficking of women to Oman

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 27

The Punjab Police have set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the cases of illegal trafficking of women to Middle-East countries, 15 of whom recently returned from Oman on Tuesday last.

The SIT has been formed on the orders of Director Bureau of Investigation LK Yadav. While IG, Ludhiana range, Kaustubh Sharma, has been appointed as the nodal officer to ensure hassle-free lodging of the FIRs in various districts across the state, Ferozepur SP Randhir Kumar will head the SIT.

According to the orders, “The SIT headed by IPS officer Randhir Kumar will investigate these cases. He has been authorised to co-opt any officer as a member of the SIT or associate any officer from the local police where the FIR is registered.”

The orders define the ambit of the SIT, “The team will probe the complaints of women regarding their trafficking from India on a false promise of providing them a decent employment and salary, being held captive and left to face starvation and struggle for survival. All such complaints will be registered immediately as FIRs without any loss of time.”

The order mentions that one FIR has already been lodged in connection with such cases since May 2 at Ghall Khurd village of Ferozepur against an agent for offences under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professionals (Regulation) Act.

Meanwhile, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Rajya Sabha MP, has thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav for taking swift action by setting up an SIT for investigating the cases of human trafficking, especially women from Punjab to Middle-East countries under visit/employment visas.

This SIT has been formed under the purview of ‘Mission Hope’, recently launched by Sahney for rescuing stranded girls from Oman. Sahney, who is also international president of World Punjabi Organisation (WPO), said his Parliament office and WPO were assisting the victims in registering FIRs at various police stations and rescuing stranded girls.

The MP has also launched four hotlines in Abu Dhabi, Oman and India.

Sahney has appealed to the families of immigrants who are stuck in the Middle-East to come forward and register the cases with the police stations concerned, so that guilty could be brought to book.

Sahney assured the stranded women and their families that he would provide free-of-cost skill training to the girls once they come back and facilitate sustainable and dignified employment for them in Punjab.

Ambit of probe

The police order reads, “The SIT will probe the complaints of women regarding their trafficking from India on a false promise of providing them a decent employment and salary, being held captive and left to face starvation and struggle for survival. All such complaints will be registered immediately as FIRs without any loss of time.”

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