Dhubri, April 21: Police today raided the headoffice of North East Voluntary Association for Rural Development (Nevard) at Baruah Patty in Gauripur town of Dhubri district, a day after the police busted a brothel allegedly run by the non-governmental organisation.
The raid was led by Dhubri deputy superintendent of police (headquarters) Subhasish Baruah. Magistrate Animesh Talukdar was also present during the raid.
Several documents, including official files, registration copy, resolution copies of the meetings and its constitution, were seized from the office. Talukdar said the documents were being examined.
“On paper the NGO was engaged in an anti-AIDS awareness campaign and provided medical aid to women with sexually transmitted diseases. In reality, it ran a flesh trade racket from rented houses. The thrust of the investigation now is on the modus operandi of the NGO members. We are trying to ascertain how the NGO involved the young girls in flesh trade,” Talukdar said.
Talukdar also said the investigating team was enquiring into other aspects such as whether the condoms supplied by the Assam State AIDS Control Society were properly distributed and who its beneficiaries were.
Hundreds of women activists of Gauripur unit of the AGP women’s wing assembled in front of the NGO’s office demanding the shifting of the office from the area.
The office is housed in a rented building owned by a reputed physician of the district.
Dhubri superintendent of police Partho Sarathi Mahanta said the police was also investigating the extent of the network and those involved in the racket.
The four girls arrested yesterday have been sent to two days’ police custody. Of them, one was arrested late last night.
Eight women employees, out of the 20 working in the NGO’s Gauripur office, said they were surprised by the raid. They said the police team searched all the six rooms occupied by the NGO on the ground floor of the three-storey building.
“We know nothing about the racket. As usual we came to the office today,” one of the employees said.
