Kundapur: Family accuse man of luring girl into human trafficking

Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur

Kundapur, Nov 18: The family of a girl have alleged that a man trapped her into human trafficking net on the pretext of helping her mother and with promises of getting her into modelling.

The girl, Shilpa (name changed), aged 25, is said to have disappeared about four days ago, and the family claim that a person identified as Basheer (50) of Kudregundi, Balehannur trapped her.

Shilpa, who has studied till PUC, wished to choose modelling as her career, but poverty had come in the way. Her father died about 23 years ago, her younger brother moved out of the house after his marriage, while her mother is bedridden. Basheer who came into contact with her noticed her poverty and assured to help the girl as well her mother. He even brought his wife and two children to Shilpa's house and introduced them. This way he won the confidence of the girl and her mother. He even got Shilpa to click a photo with him with her hands around his shoulder, and began talking to her on phone for long hours everyday, said the locals.

As soon as her family members came to know what was happening, Shilpa's uncle advised her to stay away from the man. But she was not in a state to listen to anyone, say the family.

On November 14 at around noon, she left from home and did not return. When contacted on her mobile phone, she said she was with Basheer in Balehannur and asked the family not to look for her. The shocked family members approached the Kundapur police, who called the girl and were reportedly told by her that she had gone with Basheer of her own will. The police then spoke to Basheer, who too said the same. He also claimed that he himself asked the girl to go back home but she refused. The police told the family that since the girl had gone on her own free will, and that both she and Basheer were adults, there was nothing they could do. The family members claim that Basheer made Shilpa say that she wants to stay with him.

As per Shilpa's family, Basheer was previously employed in Saudi and had settled in Balehannur after retirement. Said to be well-off, Basheer used to talk to Shilpa's mother and ask her how she managed to look after her children. He offered to help her out and said he was ready to give as much money as she required. He even told her that her daughter Shilpa was clever and he would get a job for her, the family members said, adding that he was married to a Hindu girl whom he later converted. He used to come by car to Kundapur and take Shilpa for drives, they said.

Trafficking suspected

Basheer developed friendship with the girl, got her phone number and learnt everything about the family's problems in a matter of just three weeks. It is learnt that at first he had introduced himself as 'Raja' and 'Shahid', and later as he won their confidence, he revealed that his name was Basheer. His behaviour has led the family to fear that he might be part of a human trafficking network.