Margherita: Rubina Begum (26) walked for three days to save herself from a women trafficking ring operating in the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh region, reaching eastern Assam’s Margherita from neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
Margherita is 48 km from Tinsukia headquarters and is known as the coal queen for its coal business.
Rubina had escaped from the clutches of the human trafficking ring but could not save her two daughters, sold for Rs 2.5 lakh. Rubina, along with her two daughters, had gone to Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh, in search of a job but was trapped by the human trafficking network.
The trafficking network is said to be active across Tinsukia, with many women falling prey to similar traps under the guise of employment opportunities.
After the death of her husband, Rubina faced problems managing her daily expenses, so she decided to go to Tinsukia for work. She met one Adivasi woman at Chirapatty in Tinsukia, who told her she would help her find a job.
The Adivasi woman took her to a woman’s house: Anna, where Rubina worked as a housemaid in Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh.
The Adivasi woman disappeared after handing over Rubina and her two daughters to Anna’s house.
“The Adivasi woman took me to Anna’s house and after some time, she disappeared. I was unwell and went for a medical checkup at a hospital in Tezu with my younger daughter, and when I returned, I found my elder daughter, who was 5 years old, missing. When I asked the lady, she told me my daughter was at her aunt’s house. I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t know anyone there. After that, a lady identified as Manna Didi took me and my younger daughter to Naharlagun to her house, where I was forced to do household work and was tortured a lot,” said the victim.
She added, “Manna Didi tortured me during my stay at her house and threatened me that if I tried to escape, she would kill me. Then I met another lady at her house who took me to Yanna Taddar’s house and sold me for Rs 2.5 lakh. I stayed there for over a year, facing all kinds of torture and humiliation. I don’t know what happened to my younger daughter. She was with me at Manna Didi’s house, and I was forcefully taken to Yanna Taddar’s house.”
“When I asked them if they had sold me, they said yes, and said I had to stay there. I was assaulted during my stay at Yanna Taddar’s house. I told them to return my daughters because I wanted to return home. They took me to Yupia and told me to marry there and give birth to more children. I refused, and they tortured me severely. Yanna Taddar tortured me when I refused,” Rubina said.
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“One day I managed to escape from the house, and after walking for three days, I reached Margherita. I escaped through jungle routes, asking people for directions. Somehow, I reached Bandarduwa and then again walked continuously for hours to reach Margherita,” the victim said.
While Rubina was explaining her story to the journalist, she was crying for her daughters.
“I don’t know what happened to my daughters. I somehow managed to escape from their clutches, but I couldn’t save my daughters. I went to the police and filed an FIR, but nothing has happened to date. I want my daughters back. I appeal to the government to look into the case and take immediate steps to rescue my daughters,” Rubina said.
Rubina claimed that Yanna Taddar is a police officer in Bomdila.
The traffickers had earlier sold her eldest daughter to an undisclosed location, while the youngest daughter was sold alongside her.
Sources said the human trafficking network has been active in the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh region, targeting the poor by luring them with job offers and then forcing them into household work or prostitution.
“Human trafficking is an organised crime, and the people associated with it run the racket in a well-coordinated manner. The tea garden areas are mostly targeted by human traffickers. The Margherita to Ledo area is infested with crime, and criminal activities are rampant in these areas. Human trafficking has been closely linked with illegal coal mining and militancy,” said Rupak Bhattacharjee, a resident of Margherita.
“We have received Margherita P.S GDE No-17 dated 04-12-2024 and registered Zero FIR No. 03/2024 under Sections 137(2)/135/149(3)/140(4) BNS 2023. The P.O. falls under Naharlagun Police Station under Parampara in Arunachal Pradesh. The Zero FIR was forwarded to the O.C. Naharlagun P.S. for registering a case under proper sections,” said Pratap Gogoi, Officer-in-Charge of Margherita Police Station.
He said, “We have received the FIR from the victim’s family and forwarded it to Naharlagun police for further investigation. We don’t know much about the case.”
This article has been published as part of the Impulse Model Press Lab.
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