Investigation Launched into Exploitation of Nepali Women Taken to India

Kathmandu : The government has launched an investigation after reports emerged that Nepali women and girls were being taken to India on false promises and various inducements and subjected to exploitation.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens; Gender and Sexual Minorities; and Social Security, in a statement issued on Ashoj 4, said it had taken serious note of the incidents reported by the media. According to the ministry, coordination has already been established with the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the concerned security and investigative agencies have been directed to conduct an investigation.

Investigative reports published by various media outlets had highlighted allegations that Nepali women and girls were being taken to India through intermediaries after being lured with promises of employment, marriage, education, foreign employment and entertainment opportunities, and were subsequently subjected to exploitation. The ministry said it had taken the reports as preliminary information and initiated a process to establish the facts.

The investigation will cover individuals involved in the incidents, intermediaries, organizations, border points, means of travel and possible criminal networks, the ministry said. Coordination with security agencies is also underway for identifying potential victims, collecting necessary evidence, protecting them and investigating those involved.

The ministry has made it clear that anyone found to be involved in taking women, girls and children across the border and exploiting them through misuse of the open Nepal-India border will face legal action. It also stressed that Nepal’s responsibility does not end once its citizens are taken across the border and that those involved in such activities will not be able to evade legal action.

The ministry said the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2007, defines such activities as serious offences. Along with investigation and legal action, the government will prioritize the rescue, protection, safe repatriation and rehabilitation of potential victims, according to the statement.

The ministry has also urged the public to remain cautious about suspicious offers of employment, high income, foreign travel, marriage, modelling and entertainment received through social media and digital platforms. It has advised people to verify the authenticity of individuals and organizations before travelling abroad for employment, education or other purposes and to complete the required legal procedures.

The ministry has further cautioned people against readily handing over passports, citizenship documents, bank details and other personal documents to strangers or intermediaries. It urged anyone with information about human trafficking, attempts to take people across the border through force or inducement, or cross-border exploitation to immediately inform the nearest police office, relevant government agency or the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police.