Haryana girl rescued in Mumbai as fake guardian's sex racket busted
Eight people, including two couples, have been arrested for allegedly trafficking a 14-year-old girl from Haryana to Mumbai, forcing her into the sex trade and
Eight people, including two couples, have been arrested for allegedly trafficking a 14-year-old girl from Haryana to Mumbai, forcing her into the sex trade and repeatedly raping her, the Mira Bhayander Vasai-Virar police said on Saturday. The police said the minor had been brought from Ambala on the false promise of education and was later sold for Rs 50,000. The case came to light while police were investigating a kidnapping complaint filed in March by one of the main accused, who had posed as the girl’s guardian. Read Full Story The girl was later traced and rescued from Bhayander in Thane district, after which investigators said they uncovered a wider sex racket.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rahul Chavan said one of the accused, Sanjay Gupta, a security guard, went to Navghar police station in Bhayander on March 3 and claimed that the 14-year-old girl in his care had gone missing after stepping out to buy materials for Holi and was likely to have been kidnapped. Acting on a tip-off during the inquiry, police found the teenager in Bhayander. "When a woman police officer took the girl into confidence and questioned her, a horrific tale of abuse came to light. The girl revealed that the complainant, Gupta, was not her relative," Chavan said.
According to police, Gupta had told the girl’s relatives in Ambala that he would look after her and pay for her education, but instead brought her to Mumbai and forced her into the sex trade. The survivor told police that she was repeatedly raped by multiple accused, including Gupta, after which she managed to escape. Senior Police Inspector Mukund Yadav said the investigation showed that the minor had been sold for Rs 50,000 for the sex trade. "While probing the initial kidnapping case, we stumbled upon this deep-rooted sex racket," he said. All eight accused have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for kidnapping, rape and sexual intercourse under a false promise of marriage or employment, along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Police said further investigation is under way. The police said the case began as a missing person complaint but led to the rescue of the teenager and the arrest of eight people, including two couples, on charges linked to trafficking, rape and forcing a minor into the sex trade. Ends
The BriefWire