Indore Human Trafficking Racket Busted: Minor Girl Rescued, Four Arrested

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Banganga police have busted an organised human trafficking racket that allegedly arranged fake marriages of minor girls using forged identity documents.

Four people, including the alleged mastermind, have been arrested, while a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly being sold for Rs 3 lakh has been rescued.

The racket came to light after the victim's mother lodged a missing person complaint. During the investigation, the girl's statement and other evidence exposed a well-organised network that allegedly targeted girls from economically weaker families by luring them with promises of money and a better life.

According to ACP Rubina Mizwani, the main accused, Sanjay alias Sanju Yadav and Ramvilas alias Rakesh Yadav, exploited the victim's financial condition and convinced her that a fake marriage would earn her lakhs of rupees and even a house.

Forged documents, posed as relatives

To execute the plan, the accused allegedly forged the girl's identity documents by altering her date of birth to show she was an adult. Gang members then posed as her mother, uncle and other relatives to arrange the marriage.

Police said the accused concealed the girl's real age from groom Sanju Patidar and his father, Nandram Patidar, residents of Barawada in Ratlam district, and finalised the marriage for about Rs 3 lakh. After the wedding, the girl was taken to the groom's house.

Following the mother's abduction complaint, police tracked the accused using technical evidence. Under mounting pressure, the accused brought the girl back to Indore, where she narrated her ordeal to her mother and later to the police.

Four arrested, five absconding

The arrested accused have been identified as Sanjay alias Sanju Yadav of Musakhedi, Ramvilas alias Rakesh Yadav of Vrindavan Colony, groom Sanju Patidar and his father Nandram Patidar.

Police are searching for five other suspects Sonu Banjara, Kishor Chauhan, Kachhulal Gurjar, Lalsingh Gurjar and Babu Dada.

Probe widens

ACP Mizwani said preliminary investigations indicate the gang may have arranged similar fake marriages involving other minor girls and young women. Police are probing possible interstate links, financial transactions, document forgery and the involvement of other members of the network.

Several videos of girls and financial records were also recovered from the accused's mobile phones.

Investigators suspect the gang followed a pattern in which girls were trained to stay briefly at the groom's house before fleeing with jewellery and valuables and handing them over to the gang.

If the groom's family approached the police, the accused allegedly threatened to implicate them in false rape cases using the girl.