Gujarat court convicts 2 for forcing trafficked Bangladeshi girls into sex work

In a recent ruling, an Ahmedabad court in Gujarat sentenced two men to lengthy prison terms for their roles in trafficking two Bangladeshi girls into India with the intent of forcing them into prostitution. Sagar Milan Mandal was given 20 years for repeatedly raping a 15-year-old victim, while Mahammadfaruq, also known as Harun Mahammadkarim and Abdulkarim Mandal, received 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for trafficking and exploiting the young girls.

Both men were additionally convicted under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, with their sentences to run concurrently. The 70-page judgment was delivered by Special Judge Nita Hareshbhai Vasvelia on July 31, and the court order became publicly available online shortly thereafter. The prosecution presented evidence including testimony from the minors, their mother, police witnesses, medical reports, school records, and birth certificates to establish the girls' ages and the nature of their exploitation.

The girls' bodies exhibited signs of ossification, confirming their minor status at the time of trafficking and sexual abuse. The court ordered the payment of ₹4 lakh in compensation to the younger girl and ₹75,000 to the older girl under Gujarat's Victim Compensation Scheme. This case unveiled an organized criminal network that trafficked Bangladeshi girls into India, posing as job opportunities, and compelled them into prostitution.

The convicted men, undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh, were instrumental in facilitating illegal immigration and engaging in sex work. Following this conviction, six additional First Information Reports were filed, contributing to the dismantling of the entire criminal network involved in trafficking, prostitution, and illegal immigration. The case also spurred a broader crackdown on illegal immigration activities in Ahmedabad.