Twenty-seven Nepali girls who were arrested from Mahilpalpur in New Delhi by Indian security agencies recently will be repatriated on Monday, Nepali Embassy in New Delhi has said. The UAE bound girls were arrested from a local hotel, along with the trafficking racket. Two Nepali agents—Bishnu Tamang, 25, and Ishowari Neupane, 33—were also held. The duo are in custody of Tihar jail in New Delhi for investigation.

 

The Indian police had earlier arrested seven Nepali girls, also heading to UAE, from the airport in New Delhi . During interrogation, the two revealed the location of 21 Nepali girls aged 20-35 years, who were heading to Dubai.

 

In coordination with the Nepali Embassy, these girls, after completing the court procedure, will be handed over to Nari Niketan for repatriation, second secretary at the embassy Shivani Basnyat told the Post.

 

According to Basnyat, the government will bear their travel costs and they will be handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Woman, Child and Social Welfare. The girls were arrested some two weeks back from Terminal-3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport after Indian police got a tip off from a person who was arrested earlier. The girls were traveling with fake documents.

 

“We concluded that these 28 girls were brought to India through the same agents by using different dates and route. We came to learn that several Nepali girls are being trafficked from Nepali villages via Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Raxaul to India. It is also revealed that many such girls are being trafficked since the last two months and were kept in Mahipalpur, New Delhi ,” said Basnyat.

 

During investigation, two employees of Air India at the airport—Manish Gupta and Kapil Kumar—had disclosed that some Nepali agents were involved in trafficking of the girls by luring them with job offers in Gulf countries.

 

Since Indian authorities seized their citizenships and passports for investigation, these Nepali girls have been provided with travel documents by the embassy to head to Kathmandu. Many of these girls were brought to India from Pokhara, Butwal and Kathmandu where direct bus services are available.

 

According to Basnyat, many of them do not know where they were heading and for what work. Out of the 28, seven were supposed to fly directly to Dubai while nine were supposed to fly Delhi-Colombo-Dubai. Among them, one Ful Maya Lama has already reached Nepal.

 

“I paid one lakh to a local agent,” said one of the girls, Monika Bhandari of Arughat, Gorkha. These girls, mostly from Gorkha, Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Kavre and Dhading, told officials that they left their houses in search of work after the April 25 earthquake.

 

Nepali Ambassador to India Deep Kumar Uphadhay urged officials in Nepal to investigate into the case. “We have requested officials at the Foreign and Home Ministries, immigration department and the police in Kathmandu to undertake serious investigation. According to statements made by the girls, local agents will be arrested and the girls will have their money reimbursed,” he said.

 

Indian police has started operations in various international airports against human traffickers, the ambassador added.

 

Names of rescued women

       Name                Age                  Location

1.    Malati Rai    26    Baksila, Khotang

2.    Laxmi Rai    39     Solma, Khotang

3.    Puja Tamang    20    Marming, Sindhupalchok

4.    Shova Kumari Pariyar     29    Triyuga, Udayapur

5.    Krishna Devi BK     29    Sunwal, Nawalparasi

6.    Uma Bhujel     21    Damak, Jhapa

7.    Sharmila Thapa     23    Phulpingkot, Sindhupalchok

8.    Phool Kumari     45     Gaidakot, Nawalparasi

9.    Kamala    22     Udaipur, Basaha

10.    Kalpana Khawas     29     Ghailadubba, Jhapa

11.    Savita    19     Sindhupalchok

12.     Sonam Dolma     18     Tatopani, Sindhupalchok

13.    Ammo     35     Munbajo, Sindhupalchok

14.    Samjhna     27     Khanalchowk, Kavre

15.    Sheela     32    Durragabis, Dang

16.    Maslomaya Tamang      25     Khanal, Kavre

17.    Kishnu     30     Lumbale, Rupandehi

18.    Kalimaya Tamang     30     Vill Tiplid, Dhading

19.    Sukmaya Ghising     23     Gauswara, Ramechhap

20.    Chhegu Dolma Tamang     22     Urlaini, Nuwakot

21.    Pema Jhoki     20     Naranthan, Sindhupalchok

22.    Yangji Lama     33     Serematham, Sindhupachok

23.    Sharda Tamang     30     Kakani, Nuwakot

24.    Monika Bhandari     34     Arughat, Gorkha

25.    Laxmi Tamang     20     Tapkin, Solukhumbu

26.    Anshopa Serpa    19     Chhachhowa, Solukhumbu

27.    Urmaya Thin     34     Mari, Chitwan

28.    Fulmaya        Kathmandu