ITANAGAR, May 14: In continuation of the investigation into the inter-state child sex trafficking case, the Capital Police has arrested six more accused persons, including three pimps and three sexual assailants, and recovered one more minor girl from a lodge at Zoo Road, Chimpu, bringing the total number of victims rescued so far to five, and total arrests to 21.
Earlier in the first week of this month, police had busted an inter-state child sex trafficking ring by arresting 15 accused persons, including traffickers, pimps and sexual assailants. The cops had rescued four minor girls – who were trafficked to Itanagar from Assam’s Dhemaji and forced into prostitution – and sent them to shelter homes for rehabilitation, Itanagar Rohit Rajbir Singh had said on Friday last.
A case (No. 20/24) under Section 373 IPC read with Sec 6/8/12 POCSO Act and Sec 3/4/5/6 of Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act was registered at Itanagar Women Police Station.
Informing about the latest arrests, the SP said, the Capital Police team identified the husband-wife duo who run the ‘City Hotel’ at Zoo Road, Chimpu along with the hotel manager as another set of pimps who had pushed the rescued victim minor girls into flesh trade by arranging customers.
Further, the team learned that the said accused persons have also trafficked one more victim minor girl, and accordingly, a raid was conducted at the said hotel during which the accused persons Dulal Basumatary (52) and his wife Dipali Basumatary (44), who hail from Udalguri, Assam, and their hotel manager Deepak Parajuli (24) were arrested.
The rescued 15-year-old victim girl (Miss F) comes from a poor family belonging to the native village of Dulal. She was raised by Dulal and Dipali from childhood and was forced into prostitution as soon as she reached adolescence. The girl has been shifted to Shelter Home and is presently undergoing medical care, the SP said.
He informed that the police team also arrested two individuals - Toi Bagra (35), a constable with the 1st AAPBn, and Saddam Hussain (26), a mason by profession - who had recently sexually assaulted the recovered minor girl, Miss F.
Another assailant who had sexually assaulted the previously rescued minor victim girls was arrested today and is currently in police custody. He has been identified as DySP Bulang Marik, posted at 1st AAPBn, Chimpu, the SP informed.