KOLKATA, INDIA – On November 8, IJM and a partner NGO supported Indian police in rescuing a 14-year-old girl who had been trafficked into a travelling dance troupe that acted as a cover for a sex trafficking ring.
Around October 24, this girl had been lured away from home by a young man pretending to want to date her. He handed her off to a woman who said she would have to start working in a dance troupe. She was then trafficked more than 560 kilometres away from Kolkata (in West Bengal state), to Saran District in the neighbouring state of Bihar.
Dance troupes like these are a common front for sex trafficking operations. As they travel and get hired to perform at festivals or celebrations, men will pay the owner of the troupe for sex with one of the dancers—even if she is a minor girl.
The victim in this case managed to make a call to her father explaining what had happened and wanting to be rescued. Her father went to authorities on November 2, and they contacted IJM for help. We also reached out to our partner Mission Mukti Foundation (MMF), who were better positioned to reach the girl in Bihar.
Together, we were able to track the girl’s phone and narrow down her location. MMF worked with local police there to trace the dance troupe, bring this girl to safety, and arrest two suspects who were controlling her. Other women belonged to the troupe, but this victim was the only apparent minor.
She was placed temporarily at an aftercare shelter in Bihar, and then IJM worked with West Bengal Police to help her return to Kolkata safely. Once her immediate aftercare needs are met, IJM and authorities will be able to learn more about how this dance troupe operated and what abuses she might have endured. From there, IJM will help support her long-term care and recovery.
Read more about this rescue in local media: 24×7 Taza Samachar and United News of India.
Header image is a stock photo by Church of the King and does not depict a survivor of trafficking or an IJM client.
