Breaking the cycle of crime - Trafficker arrested

Girl identifies man who bought her and sold and resold her to four brothels

BANGALORE, APRIL 2012: One day, after having been rescued on 3rd January, 2012, Meera was telling a Child Welfare Committee (CWC) member her story when she mentioned a man named Ronit. She said that he was the one who had bought her from her ‘boy friend’ and then sold and resold her to at least four other brothels. Meera said she could identify where Ronit lived, so police and Justice and Care decided to go there to bring him to justice.

Because Meera couldn’t describe the place she was held in, they asked her to accompany them to the house. She directed the team to a place on the outskirts of Bangalore. But when they got there, she became afraid. She was wearing a burka so no one would recognise her, but still she was trembling with fear and didn’t want to go close to the house.

The team made sure that Meera was shielded from the view of the perpetrators when the police approached the house. When Ronit appeared in the doorway, Meera pointed him out to our team and said, “He’s the one.” She also saw that Ronit and his wife had already had another young girl working for them, just as she had done.

Because of Meera’s courage, the police were able to arrest Ronit in March 2012.

Although she was shaken up, Meera realised that what she had done was brave. She had been shocked to see another girl already trapped by Ronit and his wife. She told us that what Ronit had done to her was wrong and that she believes she has helped prevent him from doing the same to other girls like her.