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Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Minor Rescued From Naigaon Sex Racket Alleges Abuse by 200 Men

A 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl rescued from a sex racket in Maharashtra claims she was abused by 200 men in three months. Ten suspects are in custody as police investigate the multi-state trafficking network.

A 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl rescued from a sex racket in Maharashtra’s Palghar district has told police she was sexually assaulted by at least 200 men over three months, an official said on Monday, adding that her claims are being verified.

The girl was freed on July 26 during a raid at a flat in Naigaon, Vasai, carried out by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar Police in collaboration with NGOs Exodus Road India Foundation and Harmony Foundation. Six of the suspects and three of the five rescued victims — including the minor — are Bangladeshi nationals. Among those arrested are two women, aged 32 and 33, accused of facilitating her illegal entry into India. In total, ten people have been taken into custody, said Naigaon police station senior inspector Vijay Kadam.

According to her statement at a juvenile detention centre, the girl was first trafficked to Nadiad, Gujarat, where she was sexually abused before being moved elsewhere. Harmony Foundation president Abraham Mathai claimed she had run away from home after failing a school subject and was lured into India by a female acquaintance who forced her into the sex trade. Mathai urged that all 200 alleged perpetrators be traced and arrested.

Police suspect the minor may have been given hormonal injections to induce early puberty, a tactic human rights activist Madhu Shankar says is sometimes used by traffickers who abduct children and groom them for exploitation.

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MBVV Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik stated that efforts are underway to dismantle the network and protect vulnerable teenagers. Police say the victims were trafficked to multiple locations including Navi Mumbai, Pune, Gujarat, Karnataka, and other parts of the country.

Those arrested include prime accused Mohammad Khalid Abdul Bapari (33), who allegedly arranged the victims’ transport for prostitution, and agents Juber Harun Sheikh (38) and Shamim Gafar Sardar (39). Authorities allege the girl was sedated, branded with a hot spoon, and coerced into the trade.

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Police teams have been dispatched nationwide to catch others involved. A case was registered on July 27 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Juvenile Justice Act, the Foreigners Act, and the Passport Act.