Dhangadi, August 12

Incidents of human trafficking and operation of illegal children’s homes are frequently being reported in Doti district of late.

As many as 12 children went missing from Doti’s Bhudar Church in June this year. Two days after they went missing, police found the kids from Dhangadi and handed them over to their families.

Though the police investigation suggested it as a possible bid of human trafficking to India by no other than the church pastor, the alleged mastermind of the trafficking bid, he has yet to be nabbed.

Meanwhile, the District Administration Office raided a house in Dhangadi sub-metropolis-5, Taranagar on August 5 and rescued four girls who were kept illegally at a computer training centre. The rescued girls have been identified as Laxmi Saud of Achham, Nandegada, Susmita Bhatta and Sharada Joshi of Dhangadhi, Boradadi and Punam Chhetri whose address is not known.

It has been learnt that the girls were kept at the house for the past three years. The administration, however, has failed to arrest Bhaktaraj Joshi, a local responsible for keeping the girls locked for years. Allegedly, the kids were forced to convert to Christianity at the so-called computer training centre.

“Joshi has been asked to present himself at the administration office. But he said he is in Kathmandu and might turn himself in at the DAO in a few days,” said CDO Govind Rijal.

During the raid, police also seized various documents, four laptops and two mobile sets. As per police source, Joshi, originally from Doti, was actually running an undercover children’s home in the name of Logos Computer Institute. Further, police informed that Joshi had been receiving a huge amount of money from abroad in the name of orphans.

“As per the papers, he has been getting 300-400 dollars every month for the past 18 years or so by sending some foreign donors the name list of some 10 children whom he claimed to be orphans,” police said.

As per police sources, a church that goes by the name of Astha Church is operating illegally from the top storey of his three-storey house. Police also seized books related to Christianity from Bhaktaraj’s house.

These are just a few cases in point that show how illegal activities in the name of Christianity are being carried out in the district. Poverty has been attributed to the rise in such activities in the district as people with poor financial status are easily attracted to easy money through such illegal activities.

Meanwhile, suspecting that many people might be involved in making big bucks by operating illegal children homes, the DAO has expedited its monitoring of late.