The main focus of EMPOWER PEOPLE lies on awareness raising and sensitization trainings for law enforcement agencies. The organization is also offering direct victim support and assistance to women vulnerable to human trafficking and domestic violence.Her world came crashing down two days back, when she found herself back in the same world, brought there by none other than her 'rescuer'. Seema, 25, remained confined in a room in the red-light area of Sonagachi for two days, till police rescued her on Tuesday afternoon along with her 10-year-old son.
Seema, who hailed from Bongaon, was married off when she was only 15. Her husband died a few years later, leaving her to fend for herself and her son. Taking advantage of her situation, a neighbour brought her to Kolkata six years ago, luring her with the promise of a job. She was sold to a brothel instead. Seema reconciled to her fate and started working as a sex worker. After some time, she saw a saviour in one of her clients, primary school teacher Biman Bose (59).
The teacher from Kalyani, who claimed to be a divorcee, professed love for the girl, promised to marry her and adopt her son. For Seema, this was a ticket to freedom. So, despite Bose being 34 years senior to her, Seema readily gave her consent and accompanied him to his Kalyani apartment three years ago.
"The marriage never took place and he introduced me as a domestic help to his relatives. But since he kept me and my son in his house and provided us with food, I did not protest. In any case, it was much better than living in the brothel," recalled Seema at Girish Park police station on Tuesday. This also made her silently endure sexual exploitation by Bose.
But of late, Bose had started telling Seema that she would be sent back to Sonagachi once again. "On Saturday, he told me that he would take me and my son to Kolkata to shop for Durga Puja. I was very happy thinking he had had a change of heart and accompanied him with my son to Kolkata on Sunday," Seema told TOI.
Her happiness did not last for long, however, and she found herself back in Sonagachi, confined in a room and under constant watch. Seema knew that before long, she would be sold off once again. But this time, she was desperate for freedom. Early on Tuesday, when Bose was in deep sleep, she managed to sneak out of the house for a few minutes to call up a friend from an STD booth. The friend informed Prantakatha, an NGO.
Around 9 am, a team from Girish Park PS, accompanied by a volunteers of Prantakhata, raided 177 Ramesh Dutta Street and rescued Seema and her son. Bose and house owner Sandhya Das (45) were detained. "The main accused and the house owner are being interrogated," said an officer of Girish Park police station.
"The girl broke into tears when we entered the house. She relaxed only when she reached the police station," said Prantakatha volunteer Tawkeer Hasan. A visibly relieved Seema said: "Life as a sex worker was hell. I don't want to go back to that profession at any cost.
I am grateful that I was rescued before they could sell me off to a brothel again."
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