“Stories like that of Shabana resonate with thousands of women and girls who become victims of this crime in India on an almost daily basis. We aim to rescue and rehabilitate these women, and when we successfully rescue these women and girls, it reaffirms our zeal and our faith in our mission to help thousands of women who are victims of this heinous crime in the nation.”
Dr. Abraham Mathai, Founder, and Chairman – of Harmony Foundation Monday in a statement said, a trafficked lady escaped from the clutches of her traffickers and helped other women escape too. Dr. Mathai said the harmony foundation will help the woman with her medical treatment and also rehabilitate other women back in society.
“India, in particular, has been gravely affected by this heinous crime for decades now, and it is immensely heartbreaking to see how thousands of young girls and women are forced into the frightening and vicious web of prostitution”, the statement said.
“Given the same, while this rescue story is of Shabana Sheikh (name changed), her story, like many others echo the voices and cries of thousands of girls in our nation who are forcefully put into this atrocious situation”, the statement read.
Mathai further said, “Shabana Sheikh, from Howrah, West Bengal, who resided with her mother and five siblings, was married at a young age, after which she gave birth to two children. However, fate had something else in store for her when her husband abandoned her and her children for another woman. In such a dire situation with nothing in her favor, Shabana had no choice but to move back to her maternal home, which was also in a financially bad situation. In desperation, Shabana decided to leave her state and work in some other state to feed her children and siblings”.
Narrating the incident in detail the statement said, “The turn of events was such that Shabana confided her problems with a friend, who gave her the contact details of Raju Bengali, who helped women and girls get employment in Mumbai. After contacting him, Shabana was offered a job as a Maid Cum Cook for a salary of 12,000 INR per month in Mumbai.”
“Shabana then consulted her mother regarding this opportunity, and after speaking with Raju Bengali, her mother too confirmed this opportunity thereafter, Raju booked her train tickets from Howrah to Mumbai, and she reached Mumbai in October 2021. When she arrived in Mumbai, she met Raju at the CST station, who drove her to Juinagar, where she was kept with other 8 to 10 girls. In hope of a new job and trusting Raju, she came to Mumbai in search of a livelihood, but for straight 15 days, Shabana was not assigned the job she was promised and had no reliable income. Shabana inquired the same from Raju, who gave her no response about her job which was promised by him, and after a few days, he shifted her to a new place.”
“In the new place, after befriending a few girls, Shabana was informed that they were all forced into prostitution by Raju Bengali, and on an unfortunate day, Shabana was forced by Raju Bengali to entertain a customer, and when she revolted and refused, she was brutally battered by him. Since then, Shabana was forced into commercial sexual exploitation for over eight months,” the statement said.
Speaking about forced prostitution, the statement said, “It is not a new story wherein women and girls like Shabana are lured by a job opportunity and then forced into prostitution. Thousands of women have been lured by shallow promises and forced into this heinous sexual exploitation by pimps like Raju Bengali.”
Recounting the incident, the statement said, “Shabana did not give up and seizing an opportunity one day, she ran away and went to the local Police station in Navi Mumbai which did not entertain her in lodging a complaint against her oppressor. Thereafter she was found in Kalyan Station as she had no income or place to live and fortunately, one of the social workers located her in her depressed condition, after which Shabana narrated her disheartening story. The social worker connected with us and we connected her to the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police, who registered a complaint against her oppressor Raju Bengali.”
Unfolding the crime mystery, the statement read, “When the Crime Branch Team went to arrest Raju Bengali in Navi Mumbai on Friday 5th August and when they raided four locations they also found 17 victims who were forced by him and his partner Salil Bengali into prostitution and rescued them under the guidance of Jt.CP Suhas Varke and supervision of the DCP Enforcement Dr. Raju Bhujbal.”
“While the girls were produced before the Court unfortunately Raju Bengali and his partner Salil Bengali are still absconding. Harmony Foundation is grateful to the Mumbai Crime Branch Team for their immediate and timely efforts in rescuing these unfortunate victims of trafficking. Their exceptional efforts reaffirm our faith in the Mumbai Police,” the statement added.
The Statement concluded with, “Currently, Shabana is undergoing severe gynecological medical conditions and has sought our help to provide her with medical care. Furthermore, we aim to rehabilitate her into society by providing her with the means for a beautician course to enable her to be financially independent
and empowered.
“Stories like that of Shabana resonate with thousands of women and girls who become victims of this crime in India on an almost daily basis. We aim to rescue and rehabilitate these women, and when we successfully rescue these women and girls, it reaffirms our zeal and our faith in our mission to help thousands of women who are victims of this heinous crime in the nation.”
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