12-Year-Old Bangladeshi Girl Rescued from Prostitution Racket, Alleges Abuse by Over 200 Men

In a deeply disturbing case, a 12-year-old girl from Bangladesh has alleged that she was sexually exploited by more than 200 men over three months before being rescued from a prostitution racket in Naigaon, near Vasai in Maharashtra's Palghar district.

Officials report that the rescue occurred on July 26 during an operation by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police, with support from NGOs Exodus Road India Foundation and Harmony Foundation. Ten individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.

"The 12-year-old, currently in a juvenile home, stated she was initially taken to Nadiad in Gujarat where she was sexually abused by over 200 men," said Abraham Mathai, founder-president of Harmony Foundation. "Her childhood has been brutally stolen by these criminals."

Mathai explained that the girl ran away from home with a woman she knew after failing a school subject, fearing her parents' reaction. He alleged, "That woman secretly brought her to India and forced her into prostitution," and called for the immediate arrest of all the men the child has identified.

Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik confirmed that the MBVV police are "using all its strength to expose the entire network and ensure a safe environment for vulnerable teenagers."

The case sheds light on a recurring problem, according to social activist Madhu Shankar. "I often see minor girls begging in areas like Vashi and Belapur. They are frequently abducted from villages as children, brought to cities, and exploited. They are managed by older women who also push them into prostitution and even give them hormonal injections to accelerate physical maturity," Shankar said.

Police have stated that the investigation is ongoing to track down all individuals involved in the trafficking network, including those accused of the exploitation.