Sold as a Baby, Rescued at 15 years Old

Rumana holds her brothel keeper "mother's" hand during the raid

On March 12, 2026, we received information about a victim who was being exploited in a brothel in Bundi, Rajasthan. Our team immediately left for Bundi to verify the information. The brothel was located in a remote village in the middle of the Kanjar* community, and it consisted of four small adjacent rooms. Surrounded by clothing and liquor shops, the building appeared to be part of a regular marketplace. There were no visible signs to indicate exploitation or illegal activity in the area. 

On March 15, our team traveled to meet the Additional Superintendent of Police, but she was unavailable. Our team returned to the police station the following day and met the Superintendent of Police. We explained the urgency of rescuing the victim.

While proceeding to the location, we received a call informing us that the brothel had already been alerted. We immediately informed the Additional Superintendent of Police that our information had been leaked. She stated that no further action could be taken without involving the local police station, and she directed us to the Nodal Officer, who insisted on the same procedure of utilizing the local police.

On March 17, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) informed us that the Inspector General of Police, Kota, Rajasthan, had instructed the Superintendent of Police of Bundi to rescue the victim within three days.

On March 25, we prepared for the rescue operation along with the Special Police Force. However, we were informed that the victim could not be located, and we were told to wait for further information. Later that evening, we received an update: the victim was now in Bundi, and we could proceed with our rescue.

On March 26, our team left early in the morning for Bundi and requested the Special Police Officer to join us before 12:00 p.m. After arriving in Bundi, our team and the police divided into two groups and moved toward the location. On the way, we received information that the victim was with another individual.

We searched the area and detained the brothel keeper and nearby shopkeepers to prevent anyone from escaping. The brothel keeper denied the presence of any minor victim. However, one of our team members noticed suspicious signs pointing toward a nearby house.

The angry mob who forcibly tried to take Rumana during the raid

While investigating the house, we found and rescued the victim, 15-year-old Rumana.

During the rescue, local people gathered and attempted to forcibly take Rumana from us. We immediately left the area to ensure her safety. The police detained seven individuals. The brothel keeper, whom Rumana had come to know as “mother” was taken into police custody. The police escorted Rumana to the police station. 

At the police station, Rumana refused to give her statement. The police also refused to register a First Information Report (FIR) under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. Our social workers counselled Rumana. She continued to keep silent. Later that night, the Bundi Child Welfare Committee (CWC) intervened, and Rumana was sent to them for further counseling.

A room in the brothel

After some time, we received confirmation from the CWC that Rumana was cooperating and had given a supportive statement.

On March 28, after continuous follow-up and coordination with the CWC, the police authorities, and the NCPCR, the police finally registered the FIR against the accused. The police took Rumana to her medical exams at a nearby hospital, and then she was placed in a protective home in Bundi, Rajasthan. 

*Kanjar Community: This is a nomadic community historically engaged in prostitution. Kanjar women who marry do not participate in prostitution, but girls in the same family are often forced into prostitution from a very young age.

Backstory by Ashwin Rathod, Associate National Director, Freedom Firm India:

About 15 years ago, a member of the CWC, Bundi, Rajasthan, allegedly bought an infant girl from a multi-state child trafficking network, which he was a member of, and sold her to a notorious brothel keeper, Serina, for a measly Rs 50,000 (~$500). Before she could even walk or talk, this baby girl was set aside for a life of commercial sexual exploitation in Nagpur’s red light area, Ganga Jamuna.

Over the years, as the infant girl grew, she was groomed in the dark alleys of Ganga Jamuna. Our team had walked these same dark alleys countless times and rescued hundreds of children, minors, and women from sexual exploitation. The majority of children and traffickers were natives of Eastern Madhya Pradesh and Eastern Rajasthan, while others were from Maharashtra. 

In early February, 2026, our team traveled to Bundi, Rajasthan. We learned about a child who was being exploited in one of the many brothels in Bundi. After verifying the information, the police agreed to initiate a raid. The rescue operation failed. We firsthand witnessed corruption within the police force: members of the police team had tipped off the brothel and prevented our impending raid. The brothel was shut down, and there was no sign of the child. This was very discouraging as it meant that the victim would continue to be exploited. Three weeks of our time and effort to coordinate the rescue operation went to waste. 

When our team was finally able to rescue 15-year-old Rumana on March 26, the police authorities, from the most senior to junior, refused to file a First Information Report. We quickly realized that we needed unified action to obtain justice for Rumana. We began advocacy before the apex child protection agency in the country, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in Delhi. While waiting to hear back from them, we learned that the presiding member of the CWC was in all probability the same man who sold Rumana when she was an infant to a brothel keeper. Due to his high-level political influence and connections, he conveniently escaped during the rescue operation. While collecting information, we uncovered another shocking discovery: the CWC member’s own biological son had been exploiting Rumana in the brothel for over two years. During this time she was merely 13 years old, and although she had irregular periods for over a month, he continued to rape her. Rumana shared these horrifying details with us and the CWC after her rescue. 

For over 15 years we kept hearing about his predatory acts.  With Rumana’s rescue, we realized we had barely uncovered the tip of the iceberg. 

We salute the lady chairperson of the CWC in Bundi, Rajasthan, who courageously filed a First Information Report against her colleague. We salute our team from different regions, who, despite police pressure, and the accused’s connections and influence, ensured that 15-year-old Rumana was rescued and placed in a protective home. 

For us at Freedom Firm, we are encouraged and motivated because this signifies a positive step toward fighting for justice on behalf of this child and the other victims of sex trafficking.