GUWAHATI, Feb 27 - The well-oiled human trafficking racket continues to target Assam with impunity and very soon the nefarious racket is likely to traffic a dozen young girls to Hyderabad. This startling revelation was made by a woman who recently managed to escape from the custody of the gang.
The kingpin of the gang is one Paplu Shyam, a truck driver by profession, who is currently stationed in Guwahati.
The woman, during a conversation with The Assam Tribune, said that around three years back, she came across Paplu Shyam and soon fell in love with him. Three months ago, he took her to his home located at Natun Basti in Karbi Anglong.
�In Karbi Anglong, he pushed me into prostitution and my harrowing tale began. Every night many people, especially truck drivers, used to come and abuse me. When I refused to oblige, Paplu tortured me brutally,� she said.
The 29-year-old woman further revealed that Paplu keeps young girls in various parts of the North East including Dimapur and has been running sex rackets.
In the second week of February, the woman managed to escape from the house of Paplu Shyam with the help of a neighbour. She came to Guwahati by train from Sarupathar Railway Station.
�From Paplu�s telephonic conversations with various persons in the last three months, I came to know that at present altogether 12 girls are in his custody. He has kept these girls in various parts of the North East and is planning to traffic them to Hyderabad. For this purpose, he is also in constant touch with one Lucky, who is a resident of Hyderabad. As per my knowledge, his whole family is involved in trafficking and earlier they also trafficked girls to Kerala,� she stated.
She informed that on the day she reached Guwahati and lodged a complaint with Basistha Police Station, Paplu was in Guwahati. He even tried to attack her when she approached the police.
�Paplu drives his truck between Guwahati and Dimapur. He might also be involved in drug and ganja peddling. In Karbi Anglong when I refused to get involved in prostitution, he gave me a proposal to sell ganja,� she added.
The victim was handed over to city-based NGO, GOLD. Official of the NGO Manomati Barman said that they have already communicated with the family of the woman, but they do not want to take her back.
�Her family is very poor. They believe that Paplu Shyam will forcefully take her away from her home. So they do not want to take her back. Now we are thinking about her rehabilitation through some skill development training,� Barman said.
Police officials said investigation is under way in connection with the case.
