Two Minors Rescued from Kolkata—Moni and Suhu

Moni and Suhu share details with our social worker and the police

On February 20, 2023, we received intel that a pimp, Shahid, was offering minors to customers in Kolkata. We tried to establish contact with him under the guise that we were customers. He became suspicious and kept us at bay. But after a month, he reached out to us and said he had a minor available: 17-year-old Moni. He said we would need to wait until Moni had completed her 12th-grade exams.

Interrupting their lunch

In mid-May, Shahid reached out to us again. Moni was available. Through an internal investigation, we verified that Moni was a 17-year-old minor. After presenting our evidence to the police, we planned a rescue operation together for May 29.

Operation Moni

At 12 p.m. on May 29, we met with the AHTU (Anti Human Trafficking Unit) in Kolkata and discussed rescue strategies. We left the AHTU’s office after 2 p.m. and were ready to conduct the raid at 3 p.m., but we learned that Moni was not at the brothel.

At 4:10 p.m., we learned that Moni was at the brothel again. While determining the best rescue strategy, we discovered that another victim was present at the brothel. 

The brothel masquerading as a "sweet home"

At 4:25 p.m., the police and our team raided the brothel. It was an independent house in a quiet location in Kolkata. We rescued 17-year-old Moni, as well as the second victim, 17-year-old Suhu. The police detained three people: a 44-year-old woman and two men, ages 19 and 44. The police collected evidence from the brothel, including liquor bottles, condoms, money, mobile phones, and sex toys. The police sealed the brothel and filed their initial reports. Then the police and our team proceeded to the police station with Moni, Suhu, and the accused.

Outside the brothel

At the station, the police recorded Moni and Suhu’s statements. They then filed a First Information Report and included relevant sections of the IPC, POCSO, and ITPA, which strengthened the case against the three accused. After completing the formalities at the station, we accompanied Moni and Suhu to their medical tests, then to a shelter home where they stayed for a few days. 

The police gather details at the brothel

Inside the brothel

A bathroom inside the brothel

The next day, Moni and Suhu were produced before the CWC (Child Welfare Committee). The CWC ordered our team to conduct social investigations at Moni and Suhu’s homes. We were instructed to counsel the girls and keep them in the shelter home until we presented the CWC with the social investigation report.

On June 1, Moni and Suhu will share their 164 statements in court. (A 164 statement is a voluntary statement in which a victim shares her experience at the brothel and names the accused)