Goa: Court orders repatriation of Uzbek girl
By John Edwards, Panaji, Feb 20 : A foreign victim of flesh trade, facing criminal proceedings after being caught in a raid at north Goa's coastal belt last year, has been permitted by the High Court of Bombay at Goa to return to her country. The victim-friendly order, passed by a division bench of Justice V M Kanade and Justice U V Bakre, has also directed the state police to drop all criminal charges against the 24-year-old Uzbek victim. Her custody has been given to her maternal aunt. The victim was rescued in a prostitution raid by the Calangute police last January. Besides the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, she was also booked under the Foreigners Act, as she was found without her passport and visa. Goa NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi, working towards the rehabilitation and repatriation of victims of prostitution, had petitioned the police to withdraw criminal charges against her. In the meanwhile, another Uzbek-native made a plea before the High Court for the victim's release claiming to be her "close friend". During the hearing, the NGO contacted the rescued victim's family through the Uzbekistan Embassy in New Delhi which is when the maternal aunt came down to India with a letter of authority notarized in Uzbekistan. The petitioner, despite repeated summons failed to appear before the bench. Finding the Uzbek petitioner's identity suspicious, the bench further ordered refraining her from meeting the victim The duo - victim and her aunt - are presently staying at an undisclosed location to ensure there is no harassment by the persons who had compelled the victim in the immoral trafficking. Police security has been deployed at their present place of stay until they leave for their country. The Goa FRO has been asked to prepare the victim's deportation order and travel documents latest by today.
--IBNS