With growing incidents of children, girls, and women trafficking on various pretensions following the April 25 quake and subsequent aftershocks, Dhading police have maintained special surveillance over such possible criminal acts in the district.

According to District Police Office Dhading, security personnel in association with Prayash Nepal, a non-governmental organisation working against human trafficking, has rescued as many as 66 children and women from Dhading and Gorkha districts so far.

“We have intensified regular security checking along the rural roads and highways of the district keeping in mind the possible human trafficking,” said Dhading police Chief DSP Prakash Malla.
Regular checking of long route buses has been intensified and representatives of Prayash Nepal have extended necessary support, said the police source.

They have started to check buses at Benighat, which is the only entry point for residents of 40 Dhading VDCs and folks of eastern Gorkha.

Likewise, security checking has been beefed up at Baireni-Galchhi stretch, which is the entry road from Nuwakot and Rasuwa to the main Prithvi Highway.

Sana Haat, a local NGO, is said to have extended necessary support to police for the task.
Policewomen from various police cells have been deployed to inquire about the destinations of travelling children, girls, and women, reasons for travelling, their relation with the persons accompanying them, besides other information, said Area Police Office Gajuri Inspector Hemanta Bhandari Chhetri.

As many as 46 children who were rescued from Nagdhunga while being taken to Kathmandu were handed over to their parents. Police had arrested seven persons in connection with the incident.

Investigation into the incidents are under way and police have been preparing to file human trafficking cases against the arrested. A police constable was also held for his involvement in the crime.

“The rescued children and girls were handed to their parents via District Child Welfare Committee,” said Hari Upreti, a committee officer.

Dhading police had handed over 15 child monks to District Police Office, Gorkha, on different dates as they were being taken to different monasteries near Thankot. The children from Aarkhet of Gorkha were being taken to the Capital without district child welfare committee’s permission. Likewise, representatives of non-governmental organisations have been vigilant and have inquired about suspicious persons to curb the crime in the absence of the police force.

Published on: 29 June 2015 | The Himalayan Times