‘Young girls openly sold in.........

‘Young girls openly sold in Agra and Patna’

A 14- YEAR- OLD girl from Bihar has made startling revelations to the police about a human trafficking network active in Agra and Patna. She told the police that open auctions of brides are being held in these cities.

The girl who was sold for  Rs 88,000 to a resident of Punjab, in one of such auctions three months back, by one Rajesh- a resident of Punjab’s Abohar town, was rescued by an NGO Sewa Narayan Sewa Society with the help of two municipal councilors.

The victim told the police that Rajesh had bought her from Patna with the help of one Rabhubir.

Sharing her ordeal with the police, the girl said that the accused had confined her to his house for the last three months without food. He would lock the room from outside and torture her in the evening. One such evening, the neighbours heard her screams and informed the NGO, which later rescued her.

The girl in her complaint told the police that she was deserted by her parents. However, one of her cousins supported her but later sold her to Rajesh ." Rajesh and Raghubir had gone to Patna to get a bride. My cousin forced me to join a group of six girls who were being sold as brides.

Rajesh took me to Abohar. He wanted to sell me for a higher price and took me to Agra where a similar auction was being held. However, he did not get a potential buyer as I am not beautiful," the victim told the police.

The police is investigating the case and has booked Rajesh and Raghubir under various sections of the IPC. The police have also booked the parents of the accused.

"Investigations are going on . Stringent action will be taken against the people involved in the trafficking," SHO, Gurpreet Singh Sahota said.