In July of 2021, the red-light area of Ganga Jamuna was shut down, by order of the Nagpur police Chief Amitesh Kumar. Then, in 2022, the area was reopened, but supposedly with the restrictions that no minors were to be offered to customers. (Which should be the case according to law anyway; organized prostitution, and prostitution of minors are both illegal in India.)
Freedom Firm had leads on minors in this supposedly minor-free red light area as early as May of 2022. However, attempted rescues were unsuccessful as the pimps and brothel keepers moved the girls too quickly to locate.
We first saw minor girl, Kasi, in the Ganga Jamuna red-light area in February of 2023. On March 2nd we saw her again. We learned that she had been brought there from a village and was being offered to only a few customers. The next day our liaison officer met with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, who connected us with a Police Inspector who agreed to initiate the raid.
At 3:30 pm on March 3rd, the brothel was raided by the police and our team, and Kasi was rescued. The 38 year old female brothel keeper was arrested. Evidence was gathered and reports were filed.
After Kasi shared details and her statement at the police station, we accompanied her for her medical tests at a government hospital, and afterwards took her to a shelter home in Nagpur. By this time it was 1:45am on March 4th.
On 4th March, Kasi appeared in court to give an initial statement. The judge ordered the accused to remain in police custody, and made provision for Kasi to continue living in the shelter home. We asked the police to request the judge to order an ossification test (for age verificiation) as Kasi did not have any identification to determine her age. We wanted this step taken to protect her from a parent or a fake guardian coming with fake documentation stating Kasi was a major. The judge agreed and ordered the test.
On March 6th we accompanied Kasi for her ossification test at a local hospital, and two days later her results confirmed she is between 14 and 16 years of age. While these results confirm the horrible truth that she was trafficked and abused as a minor, they also help protect her and keep her in a safe place as she recovers and builds a new future.
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