HYDERABAD: A Nampally court on Wednesday found six persons guilty of human trafficking and sentenced them to life imprisonment in a 2019 case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The convicts were identified as Mohammad Yousuf Khan alias Mohammad, Imran Shaik alias Sameer Mondal, Bithi Begum alias Khadija Shaik alias Nodi, Sojib, Ruhul Aamin Dhali, Khonla Justin alias Justin, and Shivli Khatoon. They had trafficked five Bangladeshi nationals, all of whom were repatriated to Bangladesh on September 30, 2021, via the Benapole border.
After reviewing the case, the court found the accused guilty of offences under Sections 120B, 370(3) and 370(A)(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). They were also charged under Sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, as well as Sections 468 and 471 of the IPC, and Sections 14, 14(A), and 14(C) of the Foreigners Act, and Section 31 of the Representation of People Act, 1950.
Padma Shri awardee Sunitha Krishnan, in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), said: “In a landmark judgment, Nampally court has convicted six traffickers with life imprisonment in a first-of-its-kind cross-border trafficking case. This was a joint operation of NIA and the anti-trafficking agency Prajwala, where five Bangladeshi victims were rescued in 2019. The victims were rehabilitated and safely repatriated by us. After five years, this is a great judgment. Much appreciation and heartfelt congratulations to the NIA team.”