The Area Police Office (APO) of Itahari arrested Hari Limbu and his wife Dhanu Limbu who had forced three girls -- including two minors -- into prostitution in their restaurant-cum-brothel after one of the girls, who managed to escape the ordeal, lodged a complaint. [break]
The 17-year-old girl from Hile bazaar of Dhankuta, who had fled the brothel run under the cover of Friendship Restaurant a few days ago, had filed the complaint with the District Police Office (DPO) of Sunsari. Inspector Shyam Sharu Magar, chief of the Itahari APO, said the Limbu couple was arrested following an instruction from the Sunsari DPO.
The girl had escaped the brothel with the help of Dipak Rai, a resident of Itahari. The brothel´s owners used to send the girl, otherwise kept confined in the restaurant, for health check up once a month. Rai helped the girl run away when she was out for health check up. Rai said he also faced threats from the Limbu couple after helping the girl flee.
The girl, who is now under the protection of women rights activists of Dharan, says she had reached the restaurant to work as a waitress one year ago. But, the restaurant owners gradually forced the girl into sleeping with customers. "I was even tortured when I refused to sleep with people," said she.
The girl says she used to get just Rs 200-Rs 300 for sleeping with one customer. "They (the Limbu couple) used to grab all the money," says she.
According to the girl, a 15-year-old girl from Nawalparasi and a 22-year-old girl from Sankhuwasabha were also forced into prostitution along with her. But, they failed to escape the brothel. "I had tried to escape from there even in the past," says she. "But, I failed every time. And, they thrashed me and again forced me to sleep with more people."
The girl says even police, who frequently raided Friendship Restaurant, raped her instead of rescuing her from the brothel."Some people who claimed to be undercover police even took pictures and videos of my naked body," says she. According to her, Dipen Limbu, Dhanu´s brother, also used to sexually exploit her. But police did not arrest Dipen although the girl also mentioned his name in her complaint. "We could not arrest him as he was not in the restaurant," said inspector Sharu.
"My life was like a hell there," she says now. "I now do not want to return to that restaurant ever again in future."
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