Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) rescued a 16-year-old girl who had eloped with a 23-year-old man in 2016, from Haryana.
According to the police, since she was a minor, a kidnapping case has been registered against Manoj Suresh Dulgaz. The two had eloped on September 6, 2016, to Karnal in Haryana. Mr. Dulgaz had a fake Aadhaar card made for the victim, which said she was 20 years old. He later married her in a temple.
“He then filed a writ petition in Haryana High Court, saying that his life was in danger as there were chances that his wife’s family would harm him. The Haryana HC directed the local police to protect the couple. Unaware that the girl was a minor, the police provided protection. Meanwhile, the victim became pregnant,” Senior Police Inspector Anand Chavan of the AHTU said.
After the girl had eloped, her family approached the Turbhe MIDC police. When the girl was not found even after a year, the case was handed over to the AHTU, which traced the couple to Harayana. “When we approached the Civil Line police, we learnt they were providing protection to the couple. We have handed over the accused to the Turbhe MIDC police, and the further investigations are being carried out,” Mr. Chavan said. The Haryana police may book Mr. Dulgaz for misguiding the court. “We had registered a case of kidnapping initially, and now we have added rape and charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, as the victim is now pregnant,” Senior PI Ramchandra Deshmukh, Turbhe MIDC police station said.
