Latest news with #VictimAssistanceUnit
Hans India
5 days ago
- Hans India
Hyd'bad city police ratchet up anti-human trafficking efforts
Hyderabad: In a major move to enhance its efforts in combating human trafficking and protecting children, the Hyderabad City Police launched the newly constituted Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Juvenile Bureau (JB) Unit, and a first-of-its-kind Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) in Telangana. The Hyderabad city police commissioner CV Anand inaugurated the unit at the Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad. Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) was established in collaboration with Prajwala NGO, which was also launched. This reorganization follows GO 32, Home (Legal) Department, which initially placed the AHTU under the Women Safety Wing, Hyderabad. Subsequently, GO 57, formally constituted these specialized wings with dedicated sanctioned strengths. The AHTU has been formally constituted with a sanctioned strength of 8 personnel including – 1 Inspector, 2 Sub-Inspectors, 2 Head Constables, and 3 Police Constables. The unit is tasked for curbing the trafficking of women and children, including -identifying trafficking hotspots in both physical and online domains, gathering actionable intelligence to facilitate timely rescue operations, monitoring individuals involved in trafficking networks such as pimps, touts, brothel operators, and customers, conducting pre-rescue, rescue, and post-rescue operations, following up on pending trial cases to ensure justice, conducting raids to apprehend traffickers and facilitating the repatriation of Indian victims to their home states and the deportation of foreign nationals. As of 2025, the AHTU has filed 23 cases, 44 victims were rescued, and 71 accused arrested. Additionally, the Juvenile Bureau Team / Special Juvenile Police Unit has been formally constituted with a sanctioned strength of 7 personnel, comprising 1 Inspector, 2 SIs, 2 HCs, and 2 PCs. Based at the Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, the JB Team's primary responsibility is to protect children from atrocities such as child labor, human trafficking, and bonded labor. The JB/SJPU Team works in coordination with the Child Welfare Committee to repatriate missing or traced juveniles to their respective homes throughout India. This year, the JB unit successfully repatriated four children within the state and 7 children to other states. Additionally, under the Operation Smile and Operation Muskaan programmes, 896 children were rescued. The first-of-its-kind Victim Assistance Unit (VAU), center in Telangana plays a crucial role in supporting victims of immoral human trafficking. The VAU aims to help victims recall their exploitation in a trauma-informed manner, prepare them to depose evidence confidently and without fear during court proceedings, facilitate access to government schemes, legal aid, rehabilitation benefits, and psychosocial support and Aid victims in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Rape of 3 minors: Calangute hotel sealed by police
Panaji: Police on Thursday sealed a hotel at Calangute where three minor girls aged 11, 13, and 15 were allegedly raped by two youths. One of the accused, a 19-year-old, befriended a 15-year-old girl and invited her to celebrate Eid. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The girl along with her sister and a friend, all minors, accompanied the accused and his 21-year-old friend to Calangute. The two youths checked the girls into two rooms at the hotel and allegedly raped them there. 'The hotel has violated Section 8 of the Goa Children's Act, which requires that a minor must necessarily be accompanied by a parent or a relative in order to be given a room at a hotel,' said North Goa superintendent of police Rahul Gupta. 'On this basis, we registered another first information report (FIR) at the Calangute police station against the hotel owner Rajat Chauhan and the manager Mansoor Pir. We have sealed the hotel. ' He said police will write to the tourism department and the district collector, urging them to cancel the licence of the hotel. 'They have committed a crime so do not deserve a licence,' Gupta said. Chauhan was arrested on Wednesday. Gupta said the crime came to light when on June 8 night, a complainant came to report that two of his minor daughters aged 13 and 15 were missing. Soon thereafter, a female complainant came to report that her 11-year-old daughter was missing. The three girls are friends. 'When the girls were traced to Calangute, the two youths were found to be with them. The three girls were rescued. The two youths aged 19 and 21 were apprehended,' Gupta said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'The girls were taken to the Victim Assistance Unit as stipulated by protocol in the case of recording statements of minors.' He added, 'We found that the girls had been sexually assaulted. We have registered two separate FIRs because the assaults were carried out differently. The FIRs have been registered with different sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocsco) Act and the Goa Children's Act.'
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Govt hospitals told to conduct forensic examinations for survivors without FIR
Panaji: State govt has directed govt hospitals to conduct forensic examinations on survivors of sexual offences in the absence of the registration of a first information report ( FIR ), as it is crucial for the collection of evidence. Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) incharge, Emidio Pinho, in a letter to state govt, said, 'We are writing to emphasise the legal framework and crucial responsibilities that healthcare professionals hold, particularly concerning victims of sexual offences requiring forensic medical examinations. It is essential to know that doctors and medical practitioners are bound by legal obligations to provide necessary care and medical examination on the victims of violence or assault in the absence of a requisition from police.' In accordance with established medical guidelines (Guidelines for Forensic Medical Examination in Sexual Assault Cases 2018, Medical Examination of Survivors/Victims of Sexual Violence: A Handbook for Medical Officers issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Government of India) and ethical standards, healthcare providers must conduct a thorough forensic medical examination for individuals who present signs of trauma or who report incidents of violence, irrespective of the existence of a First Information Report (FIR). Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo 'It is vital to understand that immediate medical examination is crucial for the collection of evidence, and any delay or denial of examination due to the lack of an FIR will be detrimental to the case as a whole. Turning away victims for want of the FIR number would further traumatise the victim during an already distressing time,' Pinho said. He added that in cases involving children, Section 27 of the Pocso Act states that the medical examination of a child is to be conducted even before an FIR or complaint is registered. In the case of a girl child, such an examination is to be conducted by a female doctor. The parents, support person, or the person in whom the child reposes trust or confidence is entitled to remain present at the time of the medical examination. If they are unable to remain present, then such an examination is to be conducted in the presence of a woman nominated by the head of the medical institution. 'We urge all medical facilities to adhere to these guidelines and the legal framework to ensure that victims receive the appropriate examination and care without any delay,' Pinho said. 'The directorate of health services has issued letters to all hospitals not to insist on an FIR to conduct medical examinations of survivors of sexual offences.'
