Apne Aap Wins in Patna High Court!
1. Arrested Kalam, one of our staff members
2. Wrongfully confined the 14-year daughter of another staff member
3. Made false claims that a third staff member had accompanied them on a raid and
4. Failed to act on an Apne Aap complaint to rescue girls kept in bondage and being sexually exploited in a traveling fair (mela) in Forbesgunge.
On 10 March, based on our PIL, the High Court has ordered the government to place on record
a) What steps it has taken, or plans to take, to curb human trafficking and provide rehabilitation to victims
b) Furnish details of the duty and approach of the state to treat the victim as a victim.
UPDATE: Your voices are being heard! The National Human Rights Commission of India has issued a summons to the Director General of Police to appear in person before the Commission in Delhi on September 30, 2012. We plan to present the Director General of Police with this petition to remind him the world is watching and waiting to hear what he has to say. Please helps us add signatures before we present this petition!
In India, sex-slavery is endemic. Approximately 40% of those in the sex trade are children.
Mohammad Kalam has dedicated his life to fighting the sex trafficking industry that ensnared his own sisters. Through his work at Apne Aap, an anti-sex trafficking organization, he has helped to arrest 51 sex traffickers and put 23 girls in school.
In June, the police arrested Kalam and brought false charges against him.
In July, the same police forced their way into an Apne App home for girls from the red light area to line up and harass the girls. They were fifty 9-13 year-olds.
The police continue to threaten and harass Apne Aap staff, along with the young girls and women Apne Aap protects.
This corruption has only served to encourage sex traffickers in the area who illegally enslave women and girls with absolute impunity.
The superintendent of police, Shivdeep Lande, and his team are going out of their way to stop Kalam and Apne Aap’s work. They are protecting the interests of brutal traffickers in a community where trafficking young girls is rife.
The Indian Home Office recently implemented a new project to strengthen law enforcement against trafficking. Such a project cannot progress without support of local law enforcement. Let’s encourage the Home Office to hold these corrupt police to account.
Sign this petition calling on the Indian government to ensure the false charges against Mohammad Kalam are dropped, and to protect abused women and girls. If 10,000 will join us in the call, we can ensure sanctions for corrupt police who are protecting violent sex traffickers, instead of their victims.