Kingpins of girl trafficking racket from J’khand held

A wanted couple, accused of trafficking minor girls from Jharkhand, has been arrested by the Delhi police’s crime branch. The trafficking kingpins had given shelter to the absconding former Jharkhand agriculture minister Yogendra Sao, who was recently arrested in northwest Delhi’s Shakurpur’s J. J. Colony.

The police have identified the accused as Panna Lal ( 31) and his wife Sunita Kumari ( 37). The duo were running placement agencies in the name of “Birsa Bhagwan Placement Service”, “Pahal Security Services” and “Laxmi Placement Service”.

Wanted in many cases of trading minor tribal girls from Jharkhand, Panna Lal hogged headlines when CID ( Jharkhand) and the Delhi police arrested Mr Sao from his home on October 4, but left him behind. This police oversight earned media ire as Panna Lal, allegedly running a multi- crore business with scores of illegal placement agencies that dealt in the supply of Jharkhand girls as domestic servants, into forced marriages and to brothels, had an arrest warrant and four FIRs against him.

“They ( the couple) were involved in trafficking children from Jharkhand

The couple had earlier given shelter to absconding former J’khand minister Yohendra Sao

for working illegally as domestic helps in Delhi and NCR through their placement agencies,” joint commissioner of police ( crime) Ravindra Yadav said. The accused were wanted by the Jharkhand police in a case of human trafficking and non- bailable warrants had been issued against them.

On Sunday, a trap was laid by the police and both the accused persons were apprehended from their “hideout” in Shakurpur J. J. Colony, where both of them had come to collect their belongings for fleeing to some unknown place to evade their arrest. Both the accused persons had not been visiting their residence for the past few days.

“It has been revealed that accused Panna Lal was running several sub- units to expand the business of human trafficking in Delhi. His connections with Maoists are being probed by the Jharkhand police,” Mr Yadav added.

The police said that one Gayatri ( 35), who is the sister- in- law of Panna Lal Mahto, was also arrested on October 13. She had purportedly told the police the whereabouts of Panna Lal.