Tourist spots and casinos make the Himalayan country a safe haven for those with deep pockets
Tourist spots and casinos make the Himalayan country a safe haven for those with deep pockets
What comes around, goes around. For decades, Nepal has been fuelling the Indian sex bazaar with thousands of Nepalese girls being trafficked from the impoverished erstwhile Himalayan Kingdom to the bustling red light areas across the porous Indo-Nepal border.
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Big draw: Clients in Nepal are ready to pay high sums of money for Indian girls |
But, Kathmandu is fast turning the tables now, courtesy some 'enterprising' men from India who are feeding the frenzy for Indian girls in Nepal.
The Nepal police have busted a huge racket involving a man from New Delhi who was supplying prostitutes to some high-profile hotels in Kathmandu. They say the reverse trend has peaked to its highest.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
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"The casinos here are a big attraction. Patrons look for a female partner and go scouting for non-Nepalis," Kathmandu superintendent of police told Nabaraj Silwal. He added that the recent racket, in which the mastermind belongs to Delhi, might help the Nepal police unearth more links in the scandal in India itself.
What's more, Nepal is increasingly being eyed as a lucrative operational centre by prostitutes from other countries, too. Girls are being smuggled in from India, Russia, China, Palestine and some African countries. Most of them fly in from Delhi, spend about a week in Kathmandu and then return.
And cross-border sex is not the only business on a high. Silwal said that an increasing crime rate and sale of alcohol and drugs were other rampant, related problems.
When MiD DAY contacted the escort agencies in New Delhi, it was established that Silwal's fear wasn't unfounded. Many confirmed that they get 'good business' from the Himalayas.
"In the past couple of months, we have seen a comprehensive client demand from Nepal. As they are ready to dole out good money, our girls are ready to go there. There are no visa problems, and airfare comes cheap, too," said Vicky Jain of Escorts from Night.
Jain elaborated that the new market has enabled them to make up for the losses they incurred due to the strict police vigil in Indian metros.
Ankit from Escorts Marts reasoned that it was safer to operate in Nepal as the clients were mostly based in star-rated hotels. "The demand is good, as gambling is legal there. Also, the clients are mostly high-profile, and ready to pay anything between Rs 35,000 to Rs 1,00,000 for a day's service, twice as much as in India."
The huntNepal police arrested Manish Sharma, a resident of New Delhi last week, who was running a call girl racket in Kathmandu since long. Manish was operating his network through a website and had a high profile clientele.
The website
www.nepalsexguide.com run by an alias, Mr John, said it was an 0escort agency 'offering beautiful Nepali women and Asian escorts'.
The 0agency also claimed to have 40 girls offering companionship to businessmen and discerning gentlemen at five-star hotels or exclusive residences. The fee ranged from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1,00,000 for 'celebrities'.
In India, his operations are known to cover Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Goa.
