MALEKHU: Five individuals involved in the trafficking of a 16-year-old girl to India have been sentenced to jail for human trafficking, smuggling, and organized crime.
A single bench of Judge Gopal Prasad Bastola at the District Court, Dhading, issued the verdict on Friday.
Of the eight people charged in two separate cases, three were acquitted, while five received jail sentences.
In addition to prison terms, they were fined and ordered to provide monetary compensation to the victim.
The District Court handed down an 18-year and nine-month jail term in one case, and a 10-year term in another to Gita Neupane, 29, of Tripurasundari Rural Municipality-3 in Dhading; Kabita Baniya (Acharya), 32, of Kageshwori Manahara Municipality-6 in Kathmandu; and Kamala Pariyar, 33, of Necha Salyan Rural Municipality-2 in Solukhumbu.
They were also fined Rs 175,000 and ordered to pay Rs 50,000 in compensation to the victim, according to court record keeper Madhav Bhandari.
Additionally, Kopil Damai, 39, of Tripurasundari-1, and Kalpana Ale Magar, 39, of Tripurasundari-3, were sentenced to 15 years in jail and fined Rs 100,000 each.
The 16-year-old girl was rescued from Mangalbazaar Tole No 2 in Delhi, India, on January 4, 2023, through the efforts of the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau, and brought back home.
Her family had filed a complaint with the police after losing contact with her on December 5, 2022.
The investigation revealed that close friends and neighboring women were involved in trafficking her to India.
The girl had been living at her maternal uncle’s home at the time.
Comment