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AKANSHYA SHAH
NEW DELHI, Feb 16: The Nepali embassy in New Delhi has said that the suspected human trafficker, who escaped from its custody, had “tricked” the embassy officials to flee from the scene.
“Sushila Rai (the suspect) actually tricked us to escape from the embassy,” Runoonu Chapagai, the third-secretary at the embassy who was handling Rai´s case, told Republica Tuesday. She said the suspect left behind her citizenship card and said she will be back after collecting clothes.
“Responding to the news report about the “negligence” of the embassy in letting a suspect flee from the embassy on February 9, Chapagai said, “I am sad that we (embassy officials) have falsely been blamed for carelessness and accepting bribe by some NGO people who are themselves lost since they brought the girls to us.”
She, however, said that Sushila could have been a real agent. “Sushila´s statement was no doubt suspicious. She said she works in Saudi and was currently in Bombay on a month´s leave as her child was sick,” Chapagai said, adding, “But Sushila did not show me her passport even when I repeatedly asked for it.”
Asked why Sushila was allowed to leave the embassy premises without investigation, Chapagai said, “It is not the embassy´s job to investigate. That is the job of the police,” adding, “But the other two girls had to get their clothes, so Sushila said she will come back after collecting the girls´ luggage from a hotel in Paharganj where they were staying.”
Nepali ambassador to India Rukma Shumsher Rana said, “Embassy is not a jail. People are free to walk in and out of here anytime.
Sushila, who hails from Dharan, was handed over to the embassy by a group of social workers allegedly for trying to traffic two victims — Arpana Rai Karki, 22, and Meera Khatri, 18 — to Bombay. The two were received at the Delhi airport by Sushila. They were flown from Kathmandu to New Delhi by Sushila´s agents Anjan Rai and Sunil Rai. Karki hails from Dharan and Khatri from Jhapa.
Sushila, who was handed over to the embassy, disappeared from the embassy premises without a trace. “We do not know of her whereabouts now,” Chapagai confirmed.
She, however, informed that the other two girls were sent back to Kathmandu on February 12. “Our job was to rescue the victims and we did so. The girls were sent back to Kathmandu.”
Narrating the story, Chapagai said, “When Sushila left the embassy I was in touch with her in mobile number 8286123620. But after sometime she started ignoring my calls,” adding, “I received many calls that day from Bombay demanding that her citizenship card be given back immediately.”
Sushila´s citizenship card number is 091031/29 and the passport number mentioned in the card is 4734077.
