Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
In a tragic incident, a city-based deserted woman was sold out for Rs 2.80 lakh in Rajasthan four months ago. The accused lured her off a good job in another state. The Cantonment police station has arrested four persons including two women from Rajasthan and Gujarat. “The local court reprimanded them to two days of police custody remand (PCR),” said the police inspector Kailas Deshmane.
The names of the accused are Bansi Mulajiram Meghwal (50, Bornada, Jodhpur in Rajasthan), Leeladevi Jetharam Meghwal (42, Artinagar-Palgaon, Jodhpur-Rajasthan), Harun Khan Nazir Khan (40, Misarwadi) and Shabana Harun Khan (36, Beri Baugh, Harsul). The last duo were arrested from Gujarat.
Police said the accused Harun and Shabana took the 30-year-old victim staying in a locality in the Mitmita area to Jodhpur (Rajasthan) under the aegis of giving her a good job. They sold the victim to Bansi and Leeladevi for Rs 2.80 lakh. In the meantime, Bansi and Harun, both exploited the victim physically. Later on, Bansi and Leeladevi took a hefty amount from one youth and tied the victim’s nuptial knot forcibly with him. She was sold out to him.
After marriage, the youth exploited the woman for two months. In the meantime, the victim’s son lodged a complaint with Cantonment police stating that her mother has been kidnapped. One successful day, the victim woman manage to dodge the youth to whom she was married and escaped from the spot. She travelled in a transport truck and reached one police station in Rajasthan. Later on, the Rajasthan police contacted the victim’s relatives and the Cantonment police station and then she was sent safely to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. After reaching the city, the victim lodged a complaint at the Cantonment police station against four accused (including Leeladevi and Shabana) and the youth Dinesh Bhanu with whom she was forcibly married.
Acting upon the complaint, the Cantonment police inspector Kailas Deshmane deployed a team comprising PSI Ganesh Kedar, Laxman Umbare, Narayan Payghan, Siddharth Thorat, Sumedh Pawar, Mangesh Shinde and Meena Jadhav to Rajasthan for investigation.
The squad camped in Rajasthan for the past six days and succeeded in arresting two accused. Acting upon their lead, the local squad also arrested the other two from Gujarat, said the PI, Deshmane adding that the assistant PI Dnyaneshwar Avghad, PSI Pundalik Dhake, and Raosaheb Jondhale extended valuable support to the team.
Victim lodge complaint
As per the complaint lodged by the victim woman, Harun and Shabana took her to Rajasthan on November 19, 2022. There were four more ladies before her. Initially, the victim was forced to establish sexual relations with three persons in different hotels. For this, Harun served her food laced with the sedatives on November 18, 2022. He also developed physical relations with her. The whole act was videographed and later on, they started blackmailing her under the pretext of making the video viral on social media. Later on, the complainant was forcibly married to Dinesh Bhanu and stayed there for two months. However, when she got the wind that she would be again sold out to another person soon, she mustered her courage and managed to flee away from the spot. With the help of police, the relatives booked her air ticket from Jodhpur to Indore and then through a private coach, she reached the city, stated the complainant.
Racket of women trafficking active
The population of women is very less compared to men in Jodhpur and its surrounding areas. This is the reason why men buy women for marriage. The police investigation came revealed that a racket involved in women trafficking is active. Their target is deserted women, widows and divorcees. These women are given big false assurances of good jobs in other states. A big racket seems to be active in the state. Hence the police are hopeful of busting the racket soon.