KATHMANDU, July 9: Police have started investigation against Rajani Shrestha, the managing director of Putalisadak-based Sara Link International Pvt Ltd., on suspicion of trafficking nine Nepali children to the United States of America.
Shrestha had flown to New York on June 24 with 12 children for summer school. Four of the children were female while the other eight were male. All the children were below 16 years of age. She allegedly made the children to disappear from the airport and returned to the country with just three children.
Police accused of inaction in a case of human trafficking
Immigration office of the US government had written to Nepal's Department of Immigration requesting investigation into the matter. Police arrested Shrestha from the Tribhuwan International Airport upon her return. Metropolitan Police Circle of Hanumandhoka is investigating into the case suspecting her involvement in human trafficking.
Shrestha's Sara Link has been providing consultancy services to students for studies abroad. The company had accepted 140 applications for summer camp at California-based ESL Bridge Summer School. The school had then shortlisted 86 students among the total applicants. In the end, only 12 students got US visas.
According to sources, Shrestha made eight children to disappear from the New York airport. Another child disappeared after participating in the camp on the second day. The remaining three had returned with her in Nepal.
Shrestha, however, claimed that the children went missing of their own free will and rejected the charges pressed against her. “I didn't leave them behind. They themselves chose to go separately. I do not know about their plans,” she said.
Police have suspected transaction of about Rs 20 million for taking the children to the USA. According to sources, Sara Link received between Rs 1.5 million and Rs 1.8 million from the parents of each of the children for the summer camp.
“Among the nine children left behind in the USA, six of them have come into contact with their parents in Nepal.
Their parents stated that they gave consent for their children to stay in the USA,” said DSP Siddhi Bikram Shah of the Hanumandhoka Circle, adding that further investigation is underway.
