60 victims of human trafficking recorded in IIOJK during 2024
Jammu: Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir recorded 60 victims of human trafficking during 2024, with forced labour identified as the major reason behind the trafficking in persons,
According to Kashmir Media Service, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) latest report “Crime in India 2024” said coerced marriages, sexual exploitation for prostitution and domestic servitude were among the other major reasons behind human trafficking in the region, the report stated.
Of the total 60 victims identified, 36 persons were trafficked for forced labour, followed by 12 for forced marriages, 8 for sexual exploitation for prostitution and 2 for domestic servitude.
The report stated that the victims identified during 2024 included 8 girls below 18 years of age, 36 adult males and 16 adult females.
Meanwhile, of the total 58 rescued victims, 8 were girls below 18 years of age, 36 were adult males and 14 were adult females.
According to the NCRB report, a total of 17 human trafficking cases were registered in occupied Jammu and Kashmir during 2024, compared to 10 cases in 2023 and 8 cases in 2022, indicating a gradual increase in such offences in the region.
The report stated that investigating agencies filed charge-sheets in 13 cases and submitted final reports in 3 others, taking the overall charge-sheeting rate to 81.3 per cent.
