Chandigarh, May 27 (IANS): Punjab has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for investigating cases of human trafficking, especially women from Punjab to Middle East countries under visit and employment visas, who are being exploited, an official said on Saturday.

Expressing gratitude to the government, Member of Parliament, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, said the SIT has been set up under the purview of Mission Hope, recently launched by him for rescuing stranded women from Oman.

Kaustubh Sharma, Inspector General (Ludhiana) will act as the nodal officer for hassle-free registration of first information reports (FIRs) in the state.

Sahney, who is also International President of World Punjabi Organisation, said his Parliament office is assisting all sufferers to register FIRs in different districts and rescuing stranded women from Middle East countries.

He has also launched four hotlines in Abu Dhabi, Oman and India.

Sahney requested all destitute women who have come back to India, and families of illegal immigrants who are stuck in Middle East countries to come forward and register the cases with the police stations concerned so that the guilty can be brought to justice.