4 minor girls, Kusum , Sushmita, Lalita, and Shivani, ages 11, 13, 16, and 17, were met by Avinash Pandey and Simpal Pandey in the train station as both parties came to visit the (Hindu) temple.
These young girls wanted to achieve high goals in life by studying in a well-known school but they were caught by traffickers who affected their lives badly. Telling the girls they offered a good school for their education and a promise of a paying job the traffickers were able to deceive these minors. Wanting to help their loved ones and support their families they trusted the men and agreed to go along, unaware that they were being trafficked.
The girls were then taken to a town 100 miles away where they were locked in a dark room, forcibly stripped and photographed nude. That is when the unimaginable started happening. These men would invite their friends over to do as they pleased with these girls. Every day they would fulfill their violent lusts with their bodies, treating them like objects to be used up until they had nothing left. While these men did unspeakable horrors to these minors they would get drunk and watch porn, forcing them to consume copious amounts of alcohol as well. The terrified and tortured girls shouted and cried in pain hoping for someone to rescue them from this evil nightmare but no one came to their aid.
How did I come to know about the situation? I was made aware of this case by an informer who had previously worked with me in Lucknow. He had overheard a conversation between two minors and the men while at the station. This conversation set off several red flags and suspecting that something was wrong he discreetly captured pictures on his phone of both the girls and the traffickers and immediately sent them to me.
As it so happened, I was already in the area when I received the information, so I went straight to the police station. While there, I was able to enlist the help of several officers and together we intervened in the horrific crimes taking place. Our quick response to the information and efficient ability to mobilize led us straight to the girls and ultimately lead to a successful rescue.
We made sure that serious charges were filed against the accused to ensure they face the maximum penalty under the law. After the rescue, I met with the girls personally and did my best to offer comfort and counsel. While I’ve encountered many cases like this before, witnessing the depth of their trauma and the fragile state they were in still struck me deeply it was a powerful reminder of why this work matters.
All of the rescued girls are now safely back with their families on a road to deep healing and adapting back into society while being given the opportunity to continue their education. I personally oversaw their school admissions to help them pursue the very dreams traffickers once used to exploit them. I’ve also urged their families to provide steady love and support, knowing how much these girls have already endured.