Hyderabad: Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagawat was presented the TIP Hero Award 2017. As he could not attend the ceremony in Washington DC, a special programme was arranged on Friday at the Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad. The US Consul General in Hyderabad, Katherine Hadda, and DG of Road Safety, Krishna Prasad, IPS, conferred the Trafficking in Persons Hero 2017 Award to Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat.
Home secretary Rajiv Trivedi, Hyderabad police commissioner Mahendra Reddy, Cyberabad police commissioner Sandip Shandilya, S. Umapathi, IPS (retd), TIP Hero Padmasree Dr Sunita Krishnan of Prajwala, the US consuls of Chennai and Kolkata and Telangana Tourism commissioner Sunita Bhagwat attended the function.
The award was announced on June 27 by the US Department of State for Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, IPS, and seven others from all over the world. Mr Bhagwat had rescued around 1,000 women and children from sex trafficking and 800 children from forced labour during his 13 years of work.
Mr Bhagwat was given the award for his 13 years of work to counter human trafficking in AP and TS.
US Secretary of State Tillerson and Evanka Trump were the chief guests at the award ceremony in Washington DC.
Mr Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat thanked the Telangana state government, the DGP and the CG of the US Consulate in Hyderabad for the global recognition. Mr Bhagwat had rescued around 1,000 women and children from sex trafficking and 800 children from forced labour.
