Police in Dehradun, India, have arrested a woman for allegedly selling her 15-year-old daughter as a bride for around £1,200 and then filing a false abduction complaint when she did not receive the full payment.
Investigation and Discovery
The girl was reported missing on July 5, prompting a month-long investigation involving CCTV footage, digital surveillance, and intelligence gathering. She was found in Muzaffarnagar, in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh.
Nitin Lohani, deputy superintendent of police for Dalanwala, said: "Taking the complaint seriously, we immediately registered an FIR and launched an investigation. We gathered inputs through CCTV footage, manual intelligence and digital surveillance for one month and found the girl in Muzaffarnagar."
Alleged Arrangement and Arrests
The investigation led to the arrest of two men from Muzaffarnagar and Meerut. During questioning, they allegedly told police that the girl's mother had agreed to sell her daughter to Pinki Malik, who was seeking a bride for a man she knew.
According to police, the mother and Malik met at a public function months earlier, where the arrangement was discussed. Mr Lohani said: "The girl's mother told Malik she could sell her own daughter for the purpose, and the two agreed on Rs 1.5 lakh (£1,200)."
Malik allegedly handed the teenager to one of the arrested men, who then sold her to another man for Rs 2 lakh (£1,500). Police claim the mother received only part of the payment and filed the false abduction complaint after the rest was not paid.
Legal Action and Support
The mother, Malik, and the two men have been arrested and appeared before a local court, which remanded them in custody. They face charges under several sections of India's Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including offences related to rape, abduction, and human trafficking, along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The teenager is receiving support while the investigation continues, including efforts to establish whether anyone else was involved.
