App helps police bust trafficking racket, 6 rescued, Pg3.

Key Highlights:

• Delhi Police used the 'Say Help' app to unearth a human trafficking racket in Paharganj, leading to the rescue of six women.
• The voice-activated emergency app sends real-time video, audio, and GPS details to contacts and police via SMS and WhatsApp.
• The app was developed by Mahesh Salgaonkar, an Indian-origin man based in Houston, Texas, after meeting a policeman in the US.
• Police received a prompt on the app from a man who saw a woman being forced into a house, leading them to raid a spa and rescue the women.
• A case was filed under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956, and the female receptionist was arrested.

Detailed Insights:

• The 'Say Help' app allows users to send emergency alerts by voice commands or a button push, transmitting real-time data to pre-selected contacts and law enforcement.
• The app's development was motivated by a case where delayed access to crucial evidence hindered the investigation of a crime.
• The Delhi Police (Central) has been testing the app since September of this year, and it has aided in cases of domestic violence and harassment.
• The app is currently available in several countries, including Mexico, the US, Peru, South Africa, and Chile, with around 15,000 downloads.
• The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956, aims to prevent and suppress trafficking in persons for commercial sexual exploitation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Human Trafficking: The action or practice of illegally transporting people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation.
• GPS (Global Positioning System): A satellite-based navigation system used to determine the precise location of a user or object.
• Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956: Indian legislation that combats trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.