Mr. Umapathi,IPS

Hyderabad Policeman Honored for Fighting Human Trafficking

Dr. Rathi V Iyer has spent 30 years in research and cure for sickle cell cancer in children, at the Children’s Cancer Clinic at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s, Blair E. Batson Hospital for children. Sickle cell anemia is a serious condition in which the body makes crescent shaped blood cells ,that are sticky cannot flow through the veins, and they block the blood flow from organs causing pain and organ damage. The University of Mississippi Medical Center will be honoring her with Excellence award at a ceremony at the Mississippi Medical center on 5th August 2011.

Hyderabad|India|July'2010: US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Steven White honored Inspector General of Police Sattaru Umapathi, IPS, for his work fighting trafficking in persons at a ceremony held at the U.S. Consulate General on June 30, 2010.

The U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons named Mr. Umpathi in its 2010 Trafficking in Persons report as a TIP Hero who had contributed to the prevention of human trafficking. Mr. Umapathi was recognized for his efforts to cross state borders to rescue victims according to anti-trafficking protocols of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Mr. Umapathi is the first Indian government official to be honored for his TIP work and the key role he played in rescuing victims. His arrests of traffickers led to multiple convictions with sentences ranging from four to 14 years’ imprisonment. He also forged partnerships with NGOs across the country and implemented UNODC anti-trafficking protocols in the police department.

Mr. Umapathi was instrumental in training officials to stop treating trafficking victims as criminals. He successfully implemented a rescue protocol that included a $220 payment as interim relief for trafficking victims. He also argued for application of the more stringent sections of Indian law in trafficking cases, particularly laws related to minors in prostitution, import of foreign girls, and unlawful compulsory labor.

Mr. Umapathi’s efforts resulted in Andhra Pradesh becoming a model for other Indian states fighting trafficking in persons.

It is estimated that since 2007, about 2,000 victims, including 200 minors, were rescued and about 4,000 traffickers were arrested during raids throughout India.