New Delhi: Trapped in a strange city, an 18-year-old girl from Madhya Pradesh found herself caught in a cycle of abuse for weeks on end. Lured to Delhi with the promise of a better life, she was allegedly confined to a placement agency, repeatedly raped by its owner—who claimed to have “invested” Rs 10,000 in her—and forced to work as a domestic help in multiple homes, where she was underfed and forbidden from stepping outside.
On 27 February, officials from the sub-divisional magistrate’s (SDM) office, the Labour Department, and the police—assisted by NGOs Pradeepan Foundation, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, and Bal Vikas Dhara—rescued her from a residence in Rajouri Garden. The next day, they issued an official release certificate, freeing her from bonded labour. ThePrint has accessed a copy of the certificate.
But even as she holds a document nullifying all agreements with her employer, and specific directive from the SDM, justice remains elusive—no FIR has been filed yet against those who exploited her.
Police officials at Rajouri Garden Police Station told ThePrint that the case has been transferred to Malviya Nagar Police Station, as the accused’s placement agency is located there and the assault occurred within its jurisdiction. ThePrint reached out to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Malviya Nagar for a response but had not received one at the time of publication.
From a small village in Dindori, the 18-year-old lived with her mother, a daily wage worker under MGNREGA who earns just Rs 150 a day. On 20 January, her mother left for work expecting her daughter to go to school.
“But when I came back home from work, she was nowhere to be found. She had her exams in the next few days,” the mother told ThePrint. She never could have imagined that her daughter had been lured into a dangerous web of trafficking.
According to an advocate working on the case, the girl was introduced to a man named Dhaniram by a friend named Durga. Dhaniram, an alleged trafficker operating in Dindori, promised her a well-paying job and a better life in Delhi. “He told her the work was good, the salary was high, and that Delhi offered great opportunities,” the advocate said. To the girl, it sounded like a dream come true.
Trusting Dhaniram, she left for Delhi in January 2025. Upon arrival, he left her at Hanuman Placement Agency, run by a man named Virender. There, her ordeal began. Confined within the agency’s premises, she was raped multiple times by Virender before being sent to work as a domestic help in four households.
Meanwhile, back home, her mother searched for her desperately. About 8 days after she went missing, the girl’s aunt received a call from an agent named Ashok Das, who said she was with Dhaniram who had found her work. When her mother finally spoke to her on the same call, her daughter was sobbing.
“She told me they beat her, don’t give her food, and don’t let her step outside. She begged me to come and take her away,” her mother said, speaking to ThePrint.
She also recalled that in a call, Virender claimed he had “invested” Rs 10,000 in her daughter and refused to let her go. “He told me she keeps crying and refuses to work,” the mother said. “He even boasted that he had girls younger than her who worked without complaints. He demanded Rs 10,000 if I wanted to take her back.”
According to the mother, she spoke to Virender multiple times over the phone, but he refused to release her daughter. She also managed to connect with her daughter once over a video call, during which the girl was in tears while Virender kept scolding her. The girl is currently in a government shelter home.
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Rescue operation
In February, members of Pradeepan Foundation—a 28-year-old MP-based NGO working to address issues like village development, livelihood, women’s empowerment, education, and child rights—were conducting routine field visits when they met the mother of the missing girl. Upon learning about her disappearance, the team immediately took action.
“First, we traveled to Delhi and coordinated with our team in Bhopal,” said Ajit Beliya from Pradeepan Foundation, who accompanied the mother to Delhi. “We first approached the collectorate, which handles labour-related cases, but were then directed to meet the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM).”
They left for Delhi on 25 February. However, since 26 February was a public holiday, they approached the SDM with a formal letter of complaint regarding the case. ThePrint has accessed the letter.
“After receiving our letter, the SDM quickly assembled a rescue team,” Beliya said. The team included officials from the SDM’s office, Rajouri Garden police, team of Tehsildar, Rajouri Garden, members of NGO Bachpan Bachao Aandolan, Bal Vikas Dhara and Pradeepan Foundation.
On 27 February itself, the rescue team traced the girl to a residence in Rajouri Garden, where she was working as domestic help. “We found her on the sixth floor of the building and got her released,” Beliya said. Following the rescue, the girl was taken for medical examination.
When asked if there were visible signs of physical assault, Beliya said, “There were no visible marks on her body, but she told us she had been beaten.”
She also recalled being moved between four different locations, where she was made to work as domestic help, before finally being placed in the Rajouri Garden residence, though she couldn’t remember exact addresses. “They always transported her by car, and she only knew that she had been confined in four different places,” he added.
During her time at the Rajouri Garden home, the girl was under constant surveillance. “She was not allowed to step outside, not even onto the balcony,” Beliya said. “They kept a close watch on her at all times.”
What the law says
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 10,659 cases of human trafficking were registered in India between 2018 and 2022, involving 29,682 victims. During this period, 26,840 people were arrested, but only 1,031 were convicted, while 4,936 were acquitted.
Retired IPS officer P.M. Nair, who spent 42 years working on human trafficking cases, mentioned that it is the responsibility of the Rajouri Garden Police to file an FIR since the rescue operation took place there.
He emphasised that the rights of the victim should take precedence over procedural delays. “The FIR must be registered. The SDM, who carried out the rescue, has already sent an official letter, which means there is substance to the case,” he said, adding that if the police remain unresponsive, the matter should be escalated to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP).
“This is not an ordinary crime,” Nair stressed. “Human trafficking involves extreme exploitation, and under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 111 classifies it as an organised crime. The police cannot dismiss it lightly—they must act with urgency and seriousness.”
According to the release certificate issued by the SDM, Rajouri Garden, the case involves “serious violations” of multiple legal provisions, including Sections 16, 17, and 18 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, which criminalise the exploitation of individuals through forced or bonded labour and prescribe penalties for offenders.
Additionally, the case falls under Sections 143, 144(2), and 146 of the BNS. Section 143 deals with unlawful confinement, while Section 144(2) pertains to wrongful restraint in aggravated circumstances. Section 146 addresses offenses related to criminal intimidation and coercion, emphasising the severity of threats or force used to control the victim.
“When we talk about trafficking, it is both subtle and sophisticated—two aspects we must always keep in mind,” explained Brinda Adige, founder of Global Concerns India and convenor of Mukti Alliance Against Human Trafficking and Bonded Labour.
“At its core, it stems from helplessness and vulnerability. If everything had been stable at home, she would not have left. The promise of work, a better life, or even a small financial relief for her family became an escape from her circumstances. But once she was trapped, the same vulnerability that led her there kept her from escaping.” she told ThePrint.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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