TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Putting an end to the ordeals of a rescued victim of commercial sexual exploitation, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has asked the State government to repatriate her to her home country ~ Uzbekistan and ordered Goa police to close criminal proceedings against her.
The Division Bench comprising Justices V M Kanade and U V Bakre has given the victim’s custody to her maternal aunt after she verified a letter of authority notarized in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Foreigners Registration Office is also directed to immediately issue deportation order of the girl within two days.
The victim was rescued by the Calangute police last year and booked under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and Foreigners Act. The young woman, presently lodged in the Protective Home, at Merces has been permitted to stay in a hotel along with her aunt till the formalities are completed.
“…The victim girl should be released from the protective home at Merces and her custody be handed over forthwith to her aunt who shall keep her in a hotel till the order of deportation is passed by the FRO,” the order copy mentions.
The bench has further directed the State to replace the existing lady officers with other female guards till the deportation, and asked NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi to ensure proper security to the victim.
The victim, through her friend had mentioned in the petition that she was unable to eat Indian food and thus suffered from various ailments. The friend is however kept aside from the entire process as directed by the Court.
Meanwhile, the victim’s custodian has been asked to submit details of the return ticket to the Goa police who will further inform officials of the Uzbekistan Embassy in New Delhi. The order has strictly asked agencies to keep the whereabouts of the victim and her aunt a secret for their safety.
