Police have arrested a suspected trafficker for his alleged involvement in hostage-taking of around 150 Nepali women, who were using illegal channels to go abroad for employment, in the Indian city of Benaras last year.

The Siraha District Police Office (DPO detained Sanjiv Kumar Mahato from his residence in Mirchaiya Municipality-10 on Monday. The DPO in Bardiya asked the Siraha police to detain Mahato as per a complaint lodged by two women rescued from India. The Bardiya District Court recently issued an arrest warrant to nab Mahato.

Superintendent of Police Surendra Prasad Mainali of Bardiya said the suspect would be brought to the district on Wednesday for investigation. Mahato is accused of luring 150 Nepali women by promising them jobs in a Gulf country and trafficking them to India. The two women, both from Madhuwan in Bardiya, had contacted Mahato through Facebook.

One of the victims, aged 32, said they managed to escape from the house in Benaras where Sanjiv and his friend had kept them in captivity in July last year. According to her, there were at least 150 women in the house. Police and social workers in India raided the area looking for the women but could not find them.