Jaipur: In a major operation against human trafficking, the Rajasthan Police has busted an interstate gang that used to lure minor girls from poor families with promises of a bright future, only to sell them in major metropolitan cities like Mumbai.
Ten Girls Rescued Including Seven Minors, Five Accused Arrested
Under the operation, the Jhalawar Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) has rescued 10 girls—seven of whom are minors—and arrested five accused, including a woman.
Superintendent of police Amit Kumar said that following a news report regarding human trafficking, the police initiated a special investigation led by the Women's Research Cell. Police personnel associated with the Kanjar rehabilitation program spent months secretly visiting the settlements to gather information, eventually unraveling the entire network layer by layer.
Local Brokers Lured Impoverished Families, Forged Aadhaar Cards to Show Minors as Adults
“ The investigation uncovered an organized gang of local brokers who would lure minor girls from impoverished, debt-ridden families with promises of a better life and work, only to sell them to brokers in Mumbai and Nagpur for hefty sums. The gang used to forge the Aadhaar card and identity documents of the girls to show them adults. A network involving a female agent named Ramkanya Bai and brokers from Bundi, Rajasthan, was primarily operating this racket," said the SP.
He said that given the inter-state nature of the case, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed that conducted operations across various parts of the country to rescue the girls.
Seven Minors and One Adult Confirmed Rescued, Five Arrested and One Detained
Police teams have successfully rescued a total of 10 girls so far—seven minors and one adult—while the actual ages of the remaining two are still being verified through document checks. Five individuals linked to various levels of the racket have been arrested, and one has been detained.
One of the arrested individuals, Ramkanya (53), is the key female agent.
The police said that the sale agreements drafted by the gang crossed all bounds of cruelty. The victims were paid meager sums, and if a girl attempted to escape, the family was forced to repay many times the original amount received, along with all expenses incurred on the girl. The sale documents explicitly stated that the debt would be waived only in the event of the girl's suicide or death.
