On March 15, 2024, we received a distress call from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. They told us that the police had found Soniya, a minor victim of sex trafficking, unconscious at the Moradabad railway station. The CWC took Soniya to the hospital. She appeared weak, but Soniya told the CWC that her father had sold her to a trafficker a few months earlier. The CWC called us to investigate Soniya’s case, so later that evening, we left for Moradabad to meet Soniya.
On Sunday, we met Soniya at the hospital. She looked sad and frail as she shared her story with us.
In October 2023, Soniya’s father took her to Garstin Bastion Road, one of Delhi’s largest red light areas, and sold her to a trafficker for $900. The trafficker, Sohail, was a male in his mid-20s. Sohail took Soniya to a brothel that was run by a woman named Baby. For two weeks, Baby gave Soniya food and pretty clothes to wear. Once Soniya settled in, Baby told Soniya to serve customers through prostitution. Terrified, Soniya refused, and she was severely beaten. She finally relented.
Soniya was forced to have sex with 9–10 customers a day. This became her daily routine for a few months, until one day, her male relative, Ajay, showed up at the brothel. But Ajay was not there to rescue her. Ajay bought Soniya from Baby, the brothel keeper, for two months. He took Soniya to a rented room and sexually exploited her on a daily basis. Ajay promised Soniya that he would marry her.
Soniya missed her monthly cycle and, after taking a pregnancy test, discovered that she was pregnant. Soniya told Ajay that she was pregnant. On March 8, Soniya started having severe abdominal pain. She begged Ajay to bring her tablets to stop the pain. Ajay started giving Soniya tablets multiple times a day. Then, he suddenly disappeared.
With the little money she had, Soniya booked the cheapest train ticket she could find and boarded a train to Moradabad.
When Soniya reached Moradabad station, she felt extremely unwell and fainted. Someone found her unconscious on the floor and called the police. When the police found Soniya, they called the CWC, who took Soniya to the hospital. That is when they called our team to investigate.
Sadly, Soniya miscarried her baby. After a few days in the hospital, Soniya’s physical condition improved, and she was discharged from the hospital.
On March 22, Soniya bravely shared a detailed account of her experiences with the Anti Human Trafficking office in Sambhal city, Uttar Pradesh. The police filed a First Information Report and issued arrest warrants for Soniya's father, Sohail, Baby, and Ajay.
We are so proud of Soniya for boldly testifying against her father. Many victims remain silent when it comes to filing a case against their parents, which means parents get away with, and often re-traffic their daughters. We continue to stand with Soniya in her fight for justice, as well as support her in every way possible as she seeks healing from the horrific trauma she has experienced.
