1.  SIX GIRLS RESCUED FROM BROTHELS

The Statesman - 17.10.2004

Mafuza has the dreamy eyes of any 13 year old girl. Her parents work in a brick kiln and her only brother is fighting a losing battle against blood cancer. And when a relative offered to help her find a job, her joy knew no bounds. But it all turned to be a trauma when she realized, rather lately, what her cousin was up to.

In two months from July this year, this girl from North 24-Parganas was sold and resold seven times in the brothels of Mumbai. Mafuza has six other friends who share the same plight are all under age girls rescued by the Madhyamgram based NGO, Centre for Communication and Development from brothels across the country.

Most of the minors were tricked by their relatives with promises of jobs. In the case of anoware Khatun, who is from Kalipore, her aunt and a first cousin were the traffickers who sold the girl to a tout in Mumbai who later pressured her into prostitution. This 17 years old still has scare of her sadistic customers blade bruises and cigarette burnt marks all over her body.

A neighbour was instrumental in Raima (13) landing up in a Mumbai brothel. On getting the information, Raima's mother rushed to Mumbai to bring her daughter back only to be beaten up by the brothel runners.

In Uma Sarkar's instance, who is from Hadipur, Deganga, it was a case of kidnapping by the neighbours.

Sabita Parui, another resident of Deganga, fell prey tio traffickers posing as recuiters. And she ended up in a Delhi brothel before she was rescued by the NGO with police help. The NGO office bearers, however, decry the lack of help from police in bringing the culprits to book. "Though we had told the superintendent of police and the district magistrate of North 24- Parganas, the touts responsible for trafficking Mafuza are yet to be arrested," Mr. Swapan Mukherjee, Secretary, Centre for Communication and Development, said. "In most cases the traffickers have some political connections and evade arrest," he said. Ms. Sadhana, a rescue activist with the NGO, who managed to free Mafuza after staying in Mumbai for 15 days adds: "Getting a police escort has become an uphill task and without the effective support of the cops, we cannot succeed in our mission."

2.  35 kids among 46 killed in Baghdad suicide attacks

The Times of India, 1st October 2004

Three bombs exploded at a neighborhood celebration, killing 35 children and seven adults, as suicide bombers and other attackers struck in quick succession on Thursday in three separate areas of the Iraqi capital.

At least 46 people were killed and 208 wounded in all, hospital and military officials said. The attacks came as the Arab news network Al-Jazeera showed footage of 10 new hostages seized in Iraq by militants. Al-Jazeera said that the 10 - six Iraqis, two Lebanese and two Indonesian women - were taken by The Islamic Army in Iraq.

The group has claimed responsibility for seizing two French journalists last month. Lebanon has confirmed two of its citizens had been kidnapped. Multiple explosions rocked a western Baghdad neighborhood as residents celebrated the opening of a new sewage system on Thursday afternoon, killing at least 42 people - most of them children - and wounding 141, hospital and military officials said. Ten US soldiers were among the wounded.

It was the largest number of children killed in any single insurgent attack since the conflict erupted 17 months ago.

Grief-stricken parents wailed over the bodies of their children at the Yarmouk Hospital morgue. One women tore at her hair, before pulling back the sheet covering her dead brother and kissing his body.

Some of the children, who are near the end of a nationwide school vacation, said that they were attracted to the blast scene by American soldiers handing out candy.

"The Americans called us, they told us come here, come here, asking us if we wanted sweets. We went beside them, then a car exploded," said 12-year-old Abdel Rahman Dawoud, lying naked in a hospital bed with sharpnels embedded all over his body.

Interior Ministry spokesman Col Adnan Abdul-Rahman said that two car bombs and a roadside bomb exploded in swift succession as a US convoy was passing through Baghdad's al-Amel neighborhood. But a military statement said that all the blasts were caused by car bombs.

Maj Phil Smith, spokesman for the US 1st Cavalry Division, said that the first two explosions targeted the ceremony, while the third was aimed at a nearby Iraqi National Guard checkpoint.

"This attack was carried out by evil people who do not want the Iraqis to celebrate and don't want (reconstruction) projects in Iraq," National Guard Lt Ahmad Saad said at the scene.

Residents picked their way through pools of blood, collecting bits of human flesh and putting them in plastic bags for burial. Yarmouk Hospital received 42 bodies - including 35 children - and 131 wounded in the attack, said Dr Azhar Zeid.

Angry relatives screamed for attention for their wounded from the overwhelmed doctors, many of whose uniforms were covered in blood.

3.  Power failure at hospital leads to deaths

The Asian Age, 28th September 2004

Four infants died at the B.C. Roy Memorial Hospital for Children on Monday morning after a power failure for nearly two hours. The babies were keptinside incubators. Though hospital authorities confirmed only one death during the blackout, unofficial sources put the toll at four.

Hospital Superintendent Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee has charged CESC with gross negligence in "delaying the restore of power despite repeated requests. CESC officials however, brushed aside the allegation. The state health minister Surya Kanta Mishsra stated that he was not aware of any such incident but assured of an investigation into the matter. Deputy commissioner detective department, Peeyush Pandey said: "Locals have lodged a complaint with the Phoolbagan police station against CESC officials for negligence of duty . But no case has been initiated."

Reportedly, the power snapped around 3.05 am and the first death was reported at 5.15 am by Dr. Chatterjee stated that the baby died dur to septicaemia and asphyxiation owing to collapse of the ventilation system inside the incubator.

The victim's father Biswajit Ghosh, a resident of Muraripukur Road, said: There was a power failure in the general medicine ward of the hospital. Night attendants promptly informed CESC officials but they arrived at 5:10 am, nearly two hours after the break down. The line was restored within a few seconds. But my baby had already died by then."

Sources confirmed that three more deaths took place but hospital authorities deny the same. The second death was reportedly recorded at 8.45 am. The aggrieved mothers have been identified as Nilima Mondal, Serena Khatun and Kashmira Begum. Following the incident, irate relatives of the victims put up a roadblock and staged a demonstration. A huge police force led by DC, ESD, Ranveer Kumar rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Later in the day, members of Hospital - O - Janashastha - Rakshya Committee submitted a memorandum to Dr. Chatterjee demanding an inquiry into the incident.

Informing that a power failure could happen at anytime, executive director, distribution, CESC, D.N. Majumdar stated: "Extensive excavation work is being carried out by KMC for widening roads and laying out pipelines in various parts of the city. Hence, such breakdowns cannot be ruled out in future too." He informed that the power cut was sue to a trip in the 6 kv distribution centre at Kankurgachi at 3.25 am, following the removal of an overhead traction pole.

CESC officials further questioned on the hospital's lapse for not maintaining an alternative means of power supply. "There is no generator in the hospital. Neither has the state health department ever approached us for the same. We have provided for alternative arrangements at SSKM, Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital and RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, besides providing them with our hot line services too," the official added.

4.  Boy beaten up by RPF Constable:

Minors of law, it seems, are versed not only in shooting. They have what it takes when it comes to kicks and blows too. And who's know it better than 12 year-old Robi Behari. The sweeper was kicked out of the Tata-Chapra passenger train by an RPF constable just train by an RPF constable just as it was pulling out of the station on Monday morning. Later, Robi was admitted to the Adra Railway Hospital. He was diagnosed to have sustained multiple fractures. Robi has been a cleaner on mail and express trains since four years. His eight-year-old brother Punja too is a cleaner.

On Monday, when the train pulled in at Adra station, the brothers entered the coach and were doing the rounds when an RPF constable manning the coach, questioned their identity.

The brothers' reply that they were regulars at the station irked the constable, who reportedly slapped Punja. "Robi them intervened only to be beaten up and thrown out of the train," stated a source.

Seeing his brother wristhe in pain, Punja started crying which attracted the attention of passers-by. Robi was rushed to the Adra Railway Hospital, where an X-ray revealed fractures in the right leg and hand.

Punja too was administered first aid after which he was let off. When contracted, officer-in-charge RPF, Adra, sukhedu Bikash said: "we heard about the incident in the afternoon and are inquiring into the matter. Any RPF constable found guilty will surely be punished."

5.  Man Rapes 3 year Old daughter, Arrested.

The Kolkata Age-9.10.04

A man was arrested on Sunday for raping his three year old daughter at their home in Dum Dum. The incident came to light after the child's mother lodged a complaint with the Dum Dum Police Station.

Tapan Chatterjee, who lives with his family at Ashwini Dutta Road, has been named in the first information report (SL. No. 7 of FIR No. 0,315) filed by wife Chandra Chatterjee. The complaint says the girl was raped by her father on October 3.

Flanked by her husband and daughter on either side, the woman, said that she was woken up in the wee hours by the distressed cry of the girl. When Chandra opened her eyes, she saw her husband sleeping beside the child. But he scurried back to the other side on noticing that his wife had seen him. When the child was asked the reason behind her shrill cries, she pointed to her genitals. However, the man tried to feign ignorance. The mother checked the child's body to find semen on her undergarments.

A shhocked Chandra informed her neighbors about the incident who helper her take the girl to the nearest doctor, who in turn, referred her to the Calcutta Medical College. "After treating my child and conducting a thorough medical examination, doctors at the medical college confirmed that she had been raped at night," Chandra said.

The agony took the woman to Dum Dum police station where she filed a complaint on the basis of which her husband was arrested for raping his child. Dum Dum Police, however, declined to divulge any facts about the incident.

6.  Probe into baby

The Telegraph-Calcutta - 9, September 2004

The government has ordered a probe into allegations that an employee of a nursing home here handed over a forsaken infant to a couple in exchange for Rs. 1,000/-

"This kind of transaction does not have any legal sanction. A nursing home cannot hand over a new born baby to other persons and should have informed the local police station after the baby was deserted by her mother. The authorities should have given away the baby only after receiving a court order, said director of health services Prabhakar Chatterjee.

Swapan Sen, the manager of Annapurna Nursing Home, said a woman gave birth to a baby girl on September 5 but declined to take her home. She requested the Nursing Home authorities to look after her baby.

One of our employees , Chapala Roy, later contacted a couple and handed over the child to them against Rs. 1,000 without consulting us, " Sen said. Asked why he has not initiated action against her, he said: "We will think about it after the owner of the nursing home returns."

Roy admitted she gave away the baby, but denied she took money. "The child's mother asked me to make some alternative arrangements as she was unable to look after her. A housewife of our locality, Bandana Pal, wanted to adopt a girl child for a long time. So I decided to hand over the baby to her. Now I realise that I committed a mistake," she said.

Bandana and her husband Samir said they had two sons and wanted a daughter. So they paid Roy Rs. 1,000 for the girl.

7.  Entry, exit, grand sale of minors

The Telegraph,Calcutta Thrusday 9 September 2004

Thirteen year-old Opura Khatun from Dum Dum agreed to take up a job in Esplanade on the suggestion of a relative last August. She was told to board a train and ended up in Delhi, where she was sold for Rs. 6,000 to a tout. After a few days in a brothel, Opura was sold again for Rs. 12,000 and taken to Bangalore. A few weeks ago, she was rescued and is now back in the custody of a home in Calcutta.

Around 3,000 minor girls are sold every year. A few hundred come back, but are never seen again. Calcutta has become a hum for human trafficking, admits the state government, with thousands of minors being smuggled through town every year. Police interrogation of touts and rescued girls has revealed a growing problem.

"The rising number of cases is alarming. We do have a mechanism in place to catch touts and rescue victims," said P.K. Agarwal, principal secretary, social welfare department. An intelligence branch report reveals that girls between seven and 18 years, from North and South 24-Parganas, Murshidabad and Nadia are smuggled out of the city. They are mainly sent to work in prostitution rings in the Andamans, Mumbai (from where they are sold all over the country) and West Asia, especially Saudi Arabia. Some have also been sold in Kashmir.

A study conducted by Centre for Communication and Development (CCD) traced the experiences of Sonagachhi girls. "One had travelled to London another was taken there via Cambodia. Others spentthree months each in Thailand and the Philippines. They were sold by touts for anything between Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 20,000," said Swapan Mukherjee, Secretary, CCD.

Calcutta is home to over 30,000 Nepalese girls who have been smuggled into the country over the past decade, sneaked into Calcutta via Kathmandu and Siliguri. Several hundrerd girls also come from Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.

Young boys, too -about 7,000, according to midest estimates - are trafficked through Calcutta.Most are from Murshidabad, North and South 24-Parganas and Nadia. "They are sold for between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 and are mostly forced into gold and zari workshop in gujrat and Mumbai," said a senior intelligence branch official.

Brick kilns and tile manufacturing units also forcefully employ boys aged between seven and 16, often from Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.

8.  Reena Biswas

The Telegraph, Bengal, 9th Sept. 2004

A day after Reena Biswas, who was sold off by her husband to settle his debts, and her month-old baby were rescued from a red-light area in Delhi, Nadia district police said the money-lender possibly led her husband Bhola into a trap.A garment trader, Bhola is absconding. He had allegedly sold a pregnant Reena, 26, for Rs 15,000. Unable to repay Rs 10,000 he had borrowed from a Delhi acquaintance, Bhola sold his wife to a couple of touts this April. She gave birth to a boy last month in the central Delhi red-light area. The arrested trio — money-lender Swapan Biswas and touts Subrata Sarkar and Sudhangshu Das — today gave an account of the pressure they had built up on Bhola, forcing him to sell Reena. The young couple had an affair before getting married.The arrested trio was produced before the subdivisional magistrate in Tehatta and remanded in police custody for seven days. “We will find out if they had sold any other woman earlier,” said Biswarup Ghosh, the Nadia additional superintendent of police.After a month’s effort in which the district police worked along with their counterparts in Delhi, the trio was trapped. Swapan broke down during questioning. He told the police: “The moment we realised that Bhola will not be able to re-pay the dues, we started putting pressure on him. Initially, he was not ready to hand over his wife to us. But when we threatened Bhola saying he would not be allowed to leave Delhi unless he paid up, all escape routes closed on him.” Initially, the police had believed that Swapan was only a money-lender who could not have had played a major role in the incident. “But during intense grilling, Swapan confessed to having played a key role. He pressured Bhola to sell off his wife. We are probing if he has any other motive,” Ghosh said.From what the police have stumbled upon, Bhola, too, has a shady background. “Reena was not his only wife. He also married a woman from Kalna in Burdwan. We are trying to find out if he had sold any other woman to make up losses in his business,” Ghosh said. Another police team may be sent to Delhi for further probe.

9.  Child hit with tongs for dropping baby

The Telegraph, Monday 24th May

Anxiety over the condition of her four-month-old boy — who had suffered a fall from the bed when she was away — drove a primary schoolteacher to brutally assault her seven-year-old domestic help, under whose care the infant was.The incident on Saturday evening left young Regina Khatun, in Behala East Park, in the Thakurpukur police station area, with a deep gash on her head and other injuries.When Swati Ganguly (also known as Rehana Zadgar after marriage) returned home from school on Saturday evening, an elderly woman in the locality told her that her son had been ‘dropped’ from the bed by Regina while she was away.“This infuriated me and I have no idea what happened thereafter,” Swati told Metro on Sunday. Fearing that her son had suffered serious injuries, Swati allegedly attacked Regina with a pair of tongs and mercilessly beat her up, inflicting deep wounds on her head. “At that moment, I was only thinking of my son… It is not as if I took it out on her (Regina) just because she is a domestic; I would have reacted the same way if my baby had been dropped by a sibling… It was not pre-planned, is all that I can say,” added Swati.A badly bleeding Regina was rescued by some neighbours from the balcony of the ground-floor flat on K.P. Mukherjee Road, and was rushed to Vidyasagar Hospital. The girl has now found shelter in a neighbour’s house.Landlady Mita Guha Roy said Swati had brought Regina from Habra, where she worked as a schoolteacher.“I was glad to see that she was making an effort to teach the girl the alphabets. She would also feed the girl at times. But all that changed the day her son was born,” she said.As she is in school the whole day and her husband comes home once in three months, continued the landlady, Swati had appointed Regina to take care of the baby. “But she would regularly beat her up. She recently hit the girl with a broom, inflicting a wound just below her left eye,” Mita added.Deputy commissioner of police (town) Humayun Kabir said they had not taken action as Swati has an infant to take care of. “But once Regina’s parents lodge a complaint, we will take action,” Kabir said.

10.  An infant for Rs. 500

The Telegraph,12th May, 04

“I sold my baby boy for Rs. 500 and a gold earring” – Purnima Halder Four months after Purnima, recuperating at a Hoogly hospital, sold her three-day-old boy for Rs 500 to unidentified Calcuttans, the state human rights commission has asked the hospital authorities to explain by May16 how such an incident occurred Without their knowledge. On December 26, Purnima was admitted to Tarakeswar Rural Hospital in an advance stage of pregnancy. On January 1, she gave birth to a baby boy. A mother of two more minor children, Purnima has been deserted by her husband about a year ago. She readily agreed to sell her baby to a middleman, negotiating on behalf of a Childless couple from Calcutta.Two days latter, the hospital authorities found the baby missing from his mother’s side and questioned the nursing stuff, who could not shed any light on the disappearance.Soon, the news spread and activists from Free The Children – India (FTCI), an organisation fighting for child rights in Bengal, got in touch with the hospital authorities. “Hospital officials admitted that the newborn had been sold, but added that they knew nothing about it. It was strange, since the woman was in hospital,” said S.Mukherjee, FTCI secretary.A few days later, a letter from Purnima was routed through the hospital authorities to Tarakeswar police station. In the letter, Purnima admitted that she had sold her son for Rs. 500 and a gold earring.” Now I know that I did not do the right thing and I want my child back. Please bring him back to me,” the letter read.She further clarified that the hospital authorities were not to be blamed. None of the hospital officials was willing to speak on the matter, as the case was under investigation.“The hospital cannot shirk the onus. They told us the woman was mentally challenged, which is completely false. They have been callous and it is there negligence,” FTCI secretary Mukherjee added.The FTCI with the aid of the local police, tried to locate the baby, but failed. Then, moved the rights panel. The commission registered a case(no. 1665) and began investigations.A senior member of the pane told Metro that the hospital was yet to reply to its letter .Meanwhile, the baby boy and the buyer remain untraced. “The motheris now out of the hospital, but refuses to disclose the identity of the buyer,” Mukherjee added.