New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has denied bail to a man in a case of trafficking seven Uzbek girls to India and forcing them into prostitution, saying prosecution witnesses are yet to be examined and they are prone to influence and pressure.
The high court noted that the proceedings in the case are at a very initial stage and charges have not been framed yet by the trial court.
“Also, there are 34 prosecution witnesses to be examined who are prone to influence and pressure and, thus at this stage, this court is not inclined to grant bail to the present accused or applicant. In view of the same, the present application stands dismissed,” Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said.
“It is, however, clarified that nothing expressed herein above shall be tantamount to an expression of opinion on merits of the case,” the court said.
The court perused the statement of a victim who alleged that accused Utkirbrek Khalilov alias Ali arranged visas for her and that the other accused in the case paid an amount of Rs 6 lakh to him to bring her to India.
It was also alleged that Ali helped the other accused persons send the money earned from prostitution to Uzbekistan.
The high court noted that the man has also been named in a disclosure statement of a co-accused in which it was alleged that Ali helped them in bringing girls from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to India.
He had helped bring the victims through procurement of visas and if the same was not given to the victims, he would manage to facilitate the entry of girls through illegal means via Dubai to Nepal and then in India, it noted.
An FIR was registered in the case in 2022 on the complaint by the secretary of the NGO Empowering Humanity who alleged that several girls, aged between 18 and 20 years and citizens of Uzbekistan, had been trafficked and forced into prostitution in India by the accused.
It was also alleged that some of the victims had been brought to Delhi via Nepal and some had been brought directly to India on tourist and medical visas.
As soon as they arrived in India, their passports and other documents had been confiscated by the accused, who had manipulated and brought them to the country on the pretext of providing jobs, it said.
It further alleged that when the victims tried to resist working as prostitutes, the accused threatened them.
When the victims managed to escape, they contacted the Uzbekistan embassy here which handed them over to the NGO and an FIR was lodged.
Ali sought bail, contending that he was not named in the FIR and was falsely implicated in the case. He also submitted that the investigation into his role was complete and no purpose would be served by keeping him in custody.
The prosecutor opposed the bail plea, saying that the allegations were grave, charges have not been framed yet by the trial court and there are 34 prosecution witnesses to be examined.
He said there is a possibility that the accused can influence witnesses and tamper with evidence. PTI SKV IJT
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