Man arrested on girl trafficking charge after nine years

Trishuli (Nuwakot) - Man Bahadur Tamang, 44, of Ghyangfedi of Dupcheshwor-1 in Nuwakot has been arrested on the charge his direct involvement in girl trafficking case dating back to nine years ago. 

Following an FIR filed by the victim last month against Tamang, he was held from his home two days ago, the District Police Office, Nuwakot said. He had in April 2008 allegedly persuaded a local 11-year-old girl to go with him to Kathmandu on a false promise of finding her work there before trafficking her to India. 

The girl, who is in her early 20's, had been rescued with the help of the Indian Police and an organisation International Justice Mission after two years. She is presently a high-school student and under the protection of the Nepalese Home, District Police Chief Superintendent of Police Dev Bahadur Bohara said. 

He is being tried under the Human Trafficking and Smuggling Act. 

Before trafficking the girl to India, the accused had brought her to the capital and put her in a hotel. The following day, he had taken her to the Manakamana Temple and handed her to an unidentified woman who then took her to India via the Karkarvitta point in Jhapa. 

The woman had sold her to a brothel based in Haldiya, Kolkata in India. 

It took seven years for her to gather courage to file a complaint against her trafficker, the police said. Others allegedly involved in the crime Manabahadur's spouse Mendo Tamang, 41, and locals Prem Tamang and two whose identities are yet to be ascertained are on the run. 

It may be noted that 22-year-old Sunumaya Tamang and Sanumaya Tamang of the same locality went missing sometimes ago and the police succeeded in arresting Man Bahadur in course of investing into the disappearance of two women.