An IPS who solved 450 cases of Trafficking in a Year
Human trafficking, defined as the illegal trade of humans most commonly for the purposes of sexual slavery and forced labour, currently claims an estimated 24.9 million victims worldwide. Of them, 8 million trafficking victims live within India’s borders according to the Global Slavery Index.
In 2017, an IPS officer, Raj Tilak Roushan was transferred from Osmanabad to Vasau-Virar, Palgarh as Additional Superintendent of Police. He brought in a change in the system of tracking the trafficking victims and enabled 89 per cent of the minor-missing cases being solved.
450 children were either reunited with their parents or found shelter in Child Welfare Centres because of his work. Additionally, more than 100 victims of sex and labour trafficking were rescued.
When the IPS moved to Palgarh district, the first thing he did was study the crimes in the district. He was shocked to see the missing-children statistics. In Palgarh alone, 30 to 40 cases of missing children were being registered per month under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code.
Understanding the gravity of the cases, Raj with his team looked at the available data from the last six years and identified gaps and designed a 72-column objective format proform for missing children cases that covered a complete 360-degree profile of the victim so that everything was covered by the IO (Investigating Officer) during an investigation.
The officers were asked to investigate each case as if it was their own family that had gone missing. Every missing case was investigated as a human trafficking case to solve the case faster. The team held awareness programs and briefed auto and cab drivers as well. An innovative way to spot traffickers was also identified where a lady police constable was briefed to act like a distraught teenager sitting in a public space like a garden with other policemen as a backup.
The new protocols worked, increasing the detection rate from 66 to 89 per cent in Palgarh in 2017. Police in India is among the nastiest reputed service. With so many officers making headlines for their corrupt activities, the trust of the citizens towards police has depleted. Interaction by policemen is often viewed as a hassle and unpleasant. People would go to any lengths to avoid prolonging it. This in return leads to an increase in corruption. With more hardworking and honest officers like Raj Tilak Roushan in the service, the perception of people will change, and the trust on the police will eventually be restored.
This piece is part of a series for celebrating the applaud-worthy contributions by the bureaucrats and civil servants of India.
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The CSR Journal Team
