The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has rescued a 16-year-old girl from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh (MP) who was sold there for marriage by a person whom she met on a social media application.
The accused, identified as Rajeev Garg, a resident of Bhind, was also arrested on Thursday.
According to Monika Bhardwaj, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crime Branch, on May 29, the girl told her parents that she was going to one of her friends’ house and when she did not return, search was made by her family and later a case was registered at Ranhola police station next day under section 363 (punishment for kidnapping).
“The call detail records of the victim were scrutinized and police focused on a mobile number whose location was found to be in Etawah in UP and Gwalior and Bhind in MP. The location of that mobile number was in Delhi on the day when the girl went missing. Its movement was followed and police apprehended Garg on Thursday from Bhind,” said the DCP.
“On his instance, the victim was recovered from a house near bus stand, Bhind, Madhya Pradesh. Enquiry revealed that the victim had created an ID on a social media application where she came into contact with Garg through his ID that he had created in the name of Mahi Garg,” said the DCP.
“The interaction between them started and the girl had no idea that the person on the other end was a man with nefarious designs.
One day, when she came to know that her virtual friend is a male and not a female, she stopped talking to him and later blocked his mobile number when he tried to contact her,” said the DCP.
“After sometime, Garg called her from some other number and emotionally exploited her to continue friendship and unblock his phone number,” said the DCP adding that he also convinced her to meet him at Madhuban Chowk.
“On May 29, the girl went to Madhuban Chowk and met Garg who abducted her and took to Bhind to sell the victim. The victim was subjected to physical and sexual assault by Garg and he had sold her to one Ram Mohan, a resident of Bhind, for Rs 50,000 and she was forced to marry him,” said the DCP.
“Garg has remained in Gwalior Jail for seven months in a dowry case. Mohan is a tenant of Garg and is at large. Efforts are on to trace him. Victim and Garg were brought to Delhi and handed over to local police for further necessary action,” said the DCP.