Itanagar, May 14, 2024, IANS

Itanagar, May 14 (IANS) Days after the Arunachal Pradesh Police busted an inter-state prostitution racket and rescued four minor girls, an NGO on Tuesday demanded the cancellation of licence of hotels and beauty parlours involved in the trafficking of minor girls.

The Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS), an apex women’s group in the northeastern state, said in a petition to Shweta Nagarkoti Mehta, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Itanagar Capital Region, that the gravity of the situation necessitates immediate and decisive action to address the root causes and prevent further exploitation of vulnerable girls from poor families.

APWWS President Kani Nada Maling said they strongly demand the immediate cancellation of licence of hotels and beauty parlours found to be involved in facilitating illegal activities, particularly those related to trafficking of minor girls.

“The fast action would serve as a deterrent and indicate the zero-tolerance policy of the state government towards such reprehensible practices,” the APWWS’s letter to the DC said.

The NGO said that as part of the stringent measures, all the guests must produce valid ID cards, and a daily guest list must be submitted to the local administration and the police for thorough scrutiny and verification.

“These measures would ensure accountability, thereby preventing illicit activities and ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals, particularly minor girls,” she said.

The APWWS also demanded a proper examination of the licence of all the parlours to ensure compliance with the regulations that are in place.

“Parlours operating without a licence and engaging in unscrupulous activities such as prostitution must be shut down immediately,” Maling said.

The NGO also suggested other measures, including strengthening the security at all entry and exit points of the Itanagar Capital Region and the adjoining areas.

The APWWS delegation also met Superintendent of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh, and officials of the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and submitted similar letters.

Earlier this month, the police busted an inter-state prostitution and human trafficking racket, rescued four minors, and arrested 15 persons, including six government servants, in connection with the case.

The police had said that the minor girls, aged 10 to 15 years, were trafficked into Arunachal Pradesh from Dhemaji in neighbouring Assam by two sisters, who allegedly ran a brothel-cum-residence in Itanagar.

The rescued girls told the police that they were brought to Itanagar from Dhemaji by the two sisters -- Pushpanjali Mili and Purnima Mili. Subsequently, two more minor girls trafficked from Dhemaji were rescued from the custody of Pushpanjali Mili.

The girls were forced into prostitution by the sisters along with two other women.

The police also identified two hotels and a beauty parlour involved in the crime.