Three persons, including two women, have been arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly selling minor girls in Haryana. The police have rescued one victim from Kurukshetra in Haryana.
The police on July 1 received a complaint from a man alleging that his 14-year-old daughter had gone missing from their house in Seelampur. Investigations led the police to Kurukshetra, from where they rescued the victim. The teenager purportedly disclosed that she was kidnapped by one Sanjeeda who took her to the house of a contact named Aashia in Kurukshetra, who in turn sold the teenager off in marriage to divorcee Ranbir Singh for Rs.70,000. “She was kept there as a slave for household work,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Jain.
Based on the victim's statement, the police arrested Aashia from Kurukshetra and Sanjeeda from Sonepat. Ranbir was also arrested.
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During interrogation, Sanjeeda allegedly disclosed that her husband Jaipal, who was murdered by his stepson about six months ago, had sold over a dozen girls in Haryana. Most victims belonged to low-income families and were either lured or forced to accompany the accused to various destinations in Haryana to be sold.
Mr. Jain said the practice of purchasing girls for marriage had become prevalent in Haryana due to the skewed sex ratio. However, the girls are treated as domestic helps, not as wives, he added.