The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Hyderabad sentenced six accused to life imprisonment for their involvement in a human trafficking case in 2019. The court’s ruling came after it unearthed a network that smuggled girls from Bangladesh in India and forced them into prostitution, according to an official statement.

The accused have been identified as Mohammed Yousuf Khan, his wife Bithi Begum, Sojib, Ruhul Amin Dhali, Mohammed Abdul Salam alias Kounla Justin and Sheela Justin alias Shiuli Khatun. They were booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act, 1986.

Of the group, Dhali was apprehended in West Bengal and the remaining were captured in Telangana between 2019 and 2020. During the court’s order on November 6, 2024, each of the six received a life sentence and a Rs. 24,000 fine or alternatively an additional 18 months imprisonment for non-payment. The NIA, taking over the case from the Telangana police, framed charges against the accused, culminating in this verdict.

(With contributions from agencies.)