A human rights advocate from Muzaffarpur has stated that over 100 girls had gone missing from North Bihar’s border districts in the past six months. Subodh Jha submitted petitions with the State and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Bihar State Human Rights Commission.
“An international human trafficking gang is active in North Bihar. We have approached the Human Rights Commission regarding this matter. Girls are being trafficked via the Nepal border adjacent to Motihari,” Jha expressed.
He mentioned that the victims are being trafficked to countries such as Nepal, China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, in exchange for crores of rupees. The petition highlighted that 10 girls disappeared from Raxaul in July. Likewise, 3 girls from Ramgarhwa, 4 from Adapur, 18 from Bhelahi and Kaudihar alongside other places, were missing in August.
Meanwhile, 17 victims comprising of a married woman in September along with 15 each in October and in November vanished from the area. According to the lawyer, transnational human traffickers take girls from border areas and move them to foreign nations through Nepal. Once trafficked they are used for childbearing, arranged marriages, breastfeeding, prostitution and other similar activities. Drug traffickers also exploit these girls for their operations and other nefarious objectives.
Girls are reportedly presented with the fake prospect of a better life overseas, in numerous instances. They are then trapped and transported abroad. Jha has requested a comprehensive investigation regarding this issue.
Notably, multiple instances of girl trafficking have previously emerged in Bihar as young women are forced into unlawful work. However, these victims have received assistance after the initiatives of the government and non-governmental organisations, in many cases.