On 4th August 2023, three Bangladeshi victims, one child and two women, were rescued from different brothels in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (read more about the rescue here.) As per the procedures laid down in the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, all three victims should have been produced before the Magistrate and then placed in a protective home for care and protection, and repatriated to Bangladesh within a few months; however, this did not happen.
Manila, who was 15 years old and Mora and Prachi who were in their 30s, were ordered to be placed under the custody of the Special Operations Group(SOG) – a specialized unit within law enforcement that handles high-risk operations such as counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and responding to complex criminal or insurgent activity.
For 24+ months, the victims were consigned to a small and dark room without access to essentials – they struggled for water, sanitary pads when they had their menstrual cycle, they did not have toothpaste, a comb…Interaction with these victims was limited, and when they were transferred to an interrogation centre, communication with them stopped completely. Our social workers were only able to meet the victims when they were on their way to court for their court hearings, after which they were transferred back to the interrogation centre without any access to the outside world. Our legal team moved applications before the Court to pass an order for their repatriation; however, the Court was not pleased to pass an order without recording their evidence in a trial case, which was pending for over 18 months. Finally, they finished testifying, and this time moved an application through the public prosecutor, who, with the Court’s permission, allowed the officer from the Special Operations Group(SOG) to initiate the formal process to send them back.
On 20th September 2025, we learned that instead of being repatriated home, all three survivors were deported back to Bangladesh.
Manila’s mother had filed a trafficking case in Bangladesh, and Manila after her return gave a strong statement before the Magistrate.
We were able to have a video call with Prachi a few days ago who was delighted to be back home and reunited with her family. Though we haven’t spoken to Mora, Prachi shares that Mora is also back home and safe.
We can’t begin to imagine what these three survivors have gone through – first they were trafficked to India, then sold into prostitution and sexually exploited by innumerable men, then even when rescued, they were treated like criminals and thrown into a poorly lit consigned cell for nearly 2 years, denied any form of interactions with their families, forced into seclusion and then deported back to their country.
While there is relief at them being reunited with their families back home, there is a fierce anger towards our justice system for treating these three human beings like criminals and denying them even basic human rights during their confinement.
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