North Lakhimpur: A married woman from Assam’s rural Lakhimpur has escaped forced prostitution in Kerala, where she had been trafficked by one of her neighbours.
Khatoon (name changed) has reached her home in Lokampur under Dolahat Police Outpost in Nowboicha, Lakhimpur district, after escaping her captivity in an unknown town in Kerala, where she was engaged in the forced sex trade.
Addressing the media, the victim alleged that her neighbour Gulzar Bhuyan and his wife Altafjan Begum promised her a better life in Kerala and took her to Dibrugarh with another man, Igtul Ahmed, last week.
From Dibrugarh, Gulzar took her to Kerala by train. She further alleged that Gulzar had locked her inside a room and forced her into the sex trade. She escaped her captivity after four days and reached home on February 18.
Meanwhile, the escaped woman has filed a complaint against Gulzar Bhuyan, Altafjan Begum, and Igtul Ahmed.
It may be mentioned that trafficking of women and minor girls from Assam to Kerala for the purpose of sex trade has been going on for quite some time. On May 13, 2025, one Farhan Ali (26) from Assam was arrested by Kozhikode police for trafficking a 17-year-old girl from the state for sex trade, promising her a better job in Kerala.
In October 2024, a migrant worker from Assam’s Barpeta district was arrested by Kerala Police on charges of trafficking a minor girl from West Bengal. He escaped from police custody in Bihar while being transported by train and was recaptured after seven months.