On March 8, 2021, ARZ (Anyay Rahit Zindagi) and the Goa Crime Branch rescued a 25-year-old woman, referred to as Ms. Nil, from commercial sexual exploitation. Initially, Ms. Nil refused to disclose her true identity or nationality, claiming to be Indian and providing a Nikah-nama and Aadhaar card as proof. She was sent to the Government State Protective Home under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956, for her safety.
While at the protective home, lawyers from the Supreme Court visited her, promising an early release. Trusting them, she refused to cooperate with ARZ for three months. Eventually, after realizing the lawyers couldn’t help her, she confided in an ARZ counselor that she was an Uzbek national, trafficked to India under the pretext of a job opportunity.
Ms. Nil shared that she was unemployed in Uzbekistan when an agent promised her a job in India. Upon arrival in Delhi, her passport was taken, and she was forced into prostitution. She was exploited for nearly two years across various states before being rescued in Goa.
ARZ informed the magistrate about her real identity, leading to a repatriation order. However, the absence of her passport delayed the process. After legal challenges from the lawyers who sought her release in India, the High Court upheld her repatriation. With ARZ’s assistance, her passport was recovered, her visa renewed, and her fines paid. She returned to Uzbekistan to reunite with her daughter and mother.
Before leaving the protective home, she wrote:
“I never thought I’d see my daughter again. Thanks to ARZ and the magistrate for helping me return to my country.”
Today, Ms. Nil is rebuilding her life with her family. However, she left India with no savings, as all her earnings were taken by her traffickers. Her mother had to book her flight back home. Despite her struggles, she remains in contact with ARZ, grateful for their support in her rescue and rehabilitation.