Basamma Harijan, the courageous survivor of international human trafficking, has revealed chilling details of her harrowing ordeal and the network that entrapped her to a completely unknown destination.
In her first statement since rescuing herself from Muscat a fortnight ago, Harijan shared a tale of betrayal, exploitation and resilience with The Goan.
A mother of two seeking a better future for her family, she managed to escape her captors and alert NGO ARZ and the Crime Branch about the overseas network of deceit and abuse.
“I worked at a petrol pump in Goa to financially support my family. I thought of pursuing a better opportunity abroad after hearing about a friend who was doing well in Kuwait,” she recalled.
“One of her (friend’s) family members, Sayyed Abdulla Shaikh, would send job aspirants abroad, so I approached him. Believing his promises of a well-paying job overseas, I hoped working abroad would give my husband and children a better future.”
The process began with medical examinations at private clinics costing her over Rs 10,000 -- a sum she borrowed from her workplace. Despite failing the medical tests, which she claims were communicated verbally without any certificates, she trusted Sayyed’s assurances. Eventually, she was promised a housekeeping job in Muscat with a monthly salary of Rs 30,000.
Harijan’s departure was abrupt as she was informed only two days before she was to leave mid-last month. She carried documents provided to her by an unknown agent she briefly met at Dabolim Airport.
Upon her arrival in Muscat, her ordeal began. After hours of waiting, she was taken to a cramped, overcrowded room where several other women from different Indian states were held.
“Another agent picked me up from the airport and we travelled by public transport. Around 4 or 5 am, after a half-hour walk, I was brought to a room where girls were sleeping on the floor. There was no food or proper arrangements. I was terrified but kept calm thinking about my better prospects,” she recounted.
She was instead forced to work in a wealthy man’s house. Harijan revealed that every morning around 9 am, the victim girls including her would be taken to an office where men would select girls.
She was picked after 5-7 days and the man who chose me took her to his lavish house. “I cooked for him (Sheikh) and his family and retired to my room, which had no latch. The same night, the man called me and demanded sexual favours. I refused and threatened to harm myself, warning him he would be blamed,” she said. Even Sheikh’s wife could not help her.
Harijan resisted his threats, insisting she would only do housework. Furious at her defiance, the agents demanded Rs 2 lakh for her release, eventually negotiating it down to Rs 50,000.
She was brought back to the overcrowded room. Despite the harsh conditions, Harijan said she managed to connect her phone to Wi-Fi and send desperate messages to her husband and other family members. With the help of a social worker, her husband paid Rs 30,000 via GPay, promising to pay the remaining Rs 20,000 after her return to Goa.
“I don’t know what would have happened if I had stayed there. Many girls are still trapped, crying for help,” Harijan said.
Upon her return, she handed over recordings of her ordeal and evidence of the plight of other victims to the Crime Branch, exposing what appears to be a well-organized trafficking network.
Currently enrolled at ARZ’s self-help initiative, Harijan was awarded the ‘WISH bravery award’ recently. “I salute her courage. The way she saved herself and collected evidence of other women caged in Muscat is commendable,” ARZ Director Arun Pandey said.
CB arrested Sayyed, a helper at MPT and Masthan Khan alias Pathan a week ago, for allegedly illegally operating the overseas job-sex racket.
