Araria, Feb. 13: Eighteen of the 25 girls rescued from a red-light area at Forbesganj were today sent to Punar Nawa rehabilitation centre at Dangaraha village under Sri Nagar block of Purnea. All of them are minors.
The rest, all above 18, were asked to go home. All the rescued girls underwent a medical test yesterday at Araria sadar hospital. Its report confirmed seven of them were not minors.
Araria police had conducted a raid on the red light area on Saturday night and rescued the 25 girls. Forty-four clients were arrested.
After registering a case of human trafficking at Forbesganj police station, the arrested persons were produced before a court. They have been sent to Araria district jail.
The rescued girls were handed over to child welfare committee headed by Rita Ghose. She sent the girls to Araria sadar hospital for the medical examination.
Minor girls were shifted to the rehabilitation centre in Purnea after the test. The girls over 18 years were sent to their home.
Araria superintendent of police (SP) Shivdeep Lande told The Telegraph: “The rescued girls underwent medical examination. We handed them over to child welfare committee. If the medical report confirms the rescued girls were sexually exploited, all the 44 arrested persons will be booked under the charges of rape.”
He said: “We are trying to arrest the kingpin of the flesh trade who managed to escape from the spot on Saturday night.”
The SP added: “We did not get any help from any anti-trafficking agencies. Only the child welfare committee of the district came forward with all sorts of help.”
A member of Bihar Commission for Protection of Child Right, Dr Nishindra Kinjalk visited the rehabilitation centre and met the rescued girls today. Talking to The Telegraph, Kinjalk laid stress on the need of thorough investigation into the case.
Kinjalk said he had a conversation with the rescued girls at the rehabilitation centre that did not have the approval of the social welfare department.
The department, sources said, had not issued the licence needed for running the centre despite a recommendation from the child welfare committee.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Lande had conducted a raid on the red light area under Rampur panchayat of Forbesganj subdivision around midnight on Saturday and rescued the girls. Forty-four persons found in compromising position were arrested from the spot.
Sources said a large number of girls are brought deliberately in this trade, particularly during the month-long Kali Puja fair held every year. A lot of people from Nepal come to Forbesganj, around 250km north-east of Patna, during the fair. “This year, the fair started on January 15,” said a resident.
A police source said the arrested clients came to Forbesganj for the fair from Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal. They were produced before the court, which remanded them in judicial custody for two weeks.
