Delhi Police red-faced as 5 of 7 Uzbek girls who escaped int'l sex ring go missing from shelter home

New Delhi: Days after breaking free from the forced confinement of an international trafficking and prostitution racket, five out of seven Uzbek girls have gone missing under mysterious circumstances from a private shelter home here. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), which was the first point of contact for the Uzbek girls after their escape, have now issued summons to Delhi Police for the recovery of the girls and the arrest of those behind the international sex racket. As per DCW, seven Uzbek girls had contacted them after escaping from the clutches of an elaborate international racket, involving trafficking and sex slavery. Following this, Delhi Police was informed and the girls were given temporary lodging at a private shelter where they were asked to stay till the time police were to get their passports back from traffickers. Subsequently, an FIR was registered, but all accused persons were not arrested and the girls’ passports were not recovered from the traffickers. Journey “With great difficulty and after going through a horrific ordeal these girls managed to escape. The girls had alleged that the traffickers had followed them with a gun as well! Now, 5 of the 7 girls have gone missing from the shelter home,” said Swati Maliwal, DCW Chief. Maliwal told ANI that the traffickers may have orchestrated this since all of them are yet to be arrested. Hence the summon has been issued to Delhi Police. In the summon, the Delhi police has been asked to produce the 5 girls before the commission and ensure the arrests of all traffickers and recover the girls’ passports. Earlier the Uzbek women had alleged that they were brought to India on the pretext of providing jobs, but when they arrived here, they were forced into prostitution and sexual slavery. They further said that some of them were brought to Delhi via Nepal and some directly to India on a tourist visa and medical visa at different times. Missing Passport They alleged that for those who were brought via Nepal, their passports and other documents were snatched away in Nepal itself and then they were brought to Delhi, while for other women who were brought to Delhi on a medical visa, their passports and other documents were taken away by the traffickers after arriving in India. After taking the cognizance of the matter, the Commission issued a notice to Delhi Police in the matter informing that an FIR u/s 365/384/323/506/120B/370 IPC was registered at PS Chanakyapuri and 3 accused were also arrested. However, the girls had named 10 accused and 7 of them were yet to be arrested. The girls desperately needed their documents to go back to their country, but Delhi police were unable to arrange the same, said Maliwal. Also, the girls were sent to a shelter home where they were residing since then. Now, the Commission has learned that 5 girls have been missing from the shelter home for the past few days. The Commission has taken this matter very seriously and has issued summons to DCP, New Delhi seeking an action taken report on the matter. The Commission has sought a copy of the FIR registered in the matter of missing girls along with detail of steps taken by police to trace and recover the missing girls.