KOCHI: Trial in the Nedumbassery human trafficking case, in which seven persons were convicted by the CBI Court, brought to light the nightmarish experiences of Malayali women who were cheated and forced into flesh trade after being promised jobs in Gulf countries. During the trial, several victims narrated their ordeal; how they were tortured and forced to engage in sex work to the extent they had to please 30-50 customers a day.
“The women were given medicines to suppress their monthly menstrual cycle when a high number of customers arrived at the brothel. They suffered from profuse bleeding, venereal diseases and gynaecological problems. One of the victims state she was raped by 150 persons continuously for three days. A new person came to her room and raped her every 20 minutes,” said a CBI officer.
The women were sold or exchanged between brothels frequently. The women from Kerala were taken to the residence of Lissy Sojan and Sethulal - who were awarded rigorous imprisonment - in the UAE. The house named ‘godown’ where women brought from Kerala and other countries were dumped for prostitution.
“Escaping from the clutches of these racketeers was not easy. Upon reaching the Gulf countries, the racketeers took away their passports. The victims will be allowed to speak to their relatives over the phone only if they agree to prostitution. However, the phone call could be made only in the presence of the members of the racket,” the officer said.
Another victims deposed the sex racketeers used to charge 50 dirhams per customer for a woman. However, the amount was not paid to the women. Of the amount, around 25 dirhams were charged as expenditure incurred to racketeers in bringing a woman to the Gulf countries. Another 12.5 dirhams were charged as expense for their stay in the UAE. A specific amount was charged for food and other expenses. A victim hardly got 5 dirhams per day.
Sentenced
The CBI court awarded rigorous imprisonment to seven accused persons, including three women, in the Nedumbassery case on February 24.