Rescue of 35 Nepali hostages from Kashmir of India

Thirty five Nepalese nationals who were taken hostage from Nepal to Kashmir of Indian for labor have been rescued. They were taken to Kashmir on February 15 through four agents from Bihar and were rescued on May 8 at the initiative of the Nepali Embassy, Kin India and Jammu and Kashmir Police. They were rescued from Bargaon in Kashmir and returned home on Wednesday night. All those rescued, including five children, belong to Sarlahi, Dhanusha and Mahottari. Most of the rescued people are 23 from Mahottari district. 6 are minors.

After they were taken to Kashmir, their money, mobile phone, citizenship documents were taken away and they were held hostage. They were subjected to torture and forced to work under strict surveillance. There was no toilet. They were treated inhumanely. 

Initially, 43 people were taken by Bihar agents for a daily wage of 720 (Indian Rupee). At the rate of 7000 Nepali rupees per person, was also distributed to everyone. From the day they were taken, they were made hostages by giving them a bribe, making them work and torturing. Those rescued were not even paid for their work. Seven of the 43 hostages had already managed to escape. A Nepalese boy who is a relative of the agent is living in Kashmir.

Naveen Joshi, president of Kin India in New Delhi, who was involved in the rescue informed that “initially, the agents reached the border villages of Sarlahi, Dhanusha and Mahottara and assured them that 50 workers were needed in Jammu and that the wages would be Nepali Rs 1152 per day. Besides eating and living, Nepali workers were naturally attracted and ready to go after being told that they would earn so much daily.

When Saroj Rai of Sarlahi got this information, he informed the Nepali Embassy in Delhi through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After that they also got involved in this work. They took one of the workers who had already escaped and it was easy to find the place. They were rescued around 5 am with the help of the police.

 The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two of the four people involved in torturing Nepalese and holding them hostage on 8 May. Mukhtakim Alam (32) and Mohammad Sajad (32) of Bihar Araria district were arrested. They have been booked under Indian law under IPC 374 for human trafficking. The police have also filed a case against Jamal Mansuri and Malim Mansuri from Bihar. However, they are absconding.