The Delhi Police Crime Branch bust a gang involved in selling girls from West Bengal to youths in Haryana who seek them for marriage due to the skewed sex ratio in the State. Five such girls were rescued from Jhajjar, Mahendragarh and Bhiwani districts and five people including two women have been arrested from Delhi and Haryana. Officials said four cases of human trafficking have been traced but more cases are expected to surface as the investigation progresses.
Acting on a tip-off, a Crime Branch team led by deputy commissioner of police DK Gupta under the supervision of additional commissioner of police Alok Kumar detained two persons — Ram Bhawan and his wife lakshmi and rescued a 24-year-old victim from Chankayapuri area on August 5. The girl confided to police that she along with her cousin aged 17 years were drugged at Raiganj Railway Station in West Bengal, while they had come to buy medicines for her mother.
The woman further said two unknown males and one unknown female started interacting with them, befriended them and offered some eatables. “They lost consciousness and both of them were thus trafficked to Delhi from West Bengal. She was sold for Rs80,000 to one person of village Bhadawas in Rewari, Haryana as a bride slave,” said joint commissioner of police Ravindra Yadav.
When Ram Bhawan was interrogated, he told police that the girls were brought to him and his wife a few months ago by one Saiyyed Ali alias Raju (29). The couple confined the girl at their residence in east Delhi for a few days and both the girls were later sold in Harayana.
“The complainant was sold on Rs80,000 to one Ashok, resident of village Bhadawas, district Rewari while her minor sister was sold to one Pramod resident of village Bupania, district Jahajjar. Both were forced to solemnize marriage with the males,” said Yadav.