Aligarh, August 15, 2026: "Uncle, please save me. I am being held captive here." A minor girl's desperate call to Dial 112 from Maur village in Aligarh's Tappal area led police to an alleged interstate human trafficking network and the rescue of three girls.
The 15-year-old had managed to unlock the pattern lock on the mobile phone of a woman in the household and used it to contact the police. She also shared her location with the emergency response team.
Police Launch Rescue Operation
The call on August 7 prompted Khair Circle Officer Abhishek Patel and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit to launch an operation. Police reached the house and rescued the girl. During the subsequent investigation, two more minor girls were traced and rescued.
Police have arrested five people, including alleged gang leader Babita alias Chachi of Prayagraj. The other accused are Sukharam alias Mahavir of Gonda, Vinod Jat of Maur village, and Gonda residents Bablu and Om Pal Singh.
According to police, the gang allegedly targeted economically vulnerable and abandoned girls from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan by promising them education and a better future. They were allegedly brought to Aligarh and sold for Rs 70,000 to Rs 1 lakh to people who were unable to find marriage partners.
Police are also investigating whether some of the girls were subsequently taken to Delhi-NCR and forced to work as domestic help.
Girl Allegedly Sold For Marriage
The case came to light after the 15-year-old was allegedly abandoned at Aligarh railway station by a young man with whom she had travelled from Chhattisgarh around four months ago. Her family had registered a case against the man in Chhattisgarh.
Police said Babita spotted the girl at the station, offered her food and assured her of help. She allegedly took the girl into her care and later, through Sukharam alias Mahavir, sold her to Vinod Jat of Maur village.
According to police, Vinod forced the girl to marry his son. She was allegedly beaten and harassed at the house. She eventually found an opportunity to use the mobile phone of the family's daughter-in-law, unlocked it and called Dial 112.
The girl's call gave police a precise lead to the house where she was allegedly being held. The police team reached the location and rescued her.
Two More Girls Rescued
During questioning and further investigation, police found that two other minor girls were allegedly connected with the network. Both were subsequently rescued.
Police said Sukharam, who was living in the area under a concealed identity, originally belonged to Deeg in Rajasthan. Babita and Sukharam have been described by police as key members of the alleged network.
Vinod Jat, Bablu and Om Pal Singh are accused of purchasing minor girls in the name of marriage, police said.
Accused Sent To Jail
SP Rural Manish Kumar Mishra said cases had been registered against the accused under provisions relating to human trafficking, rape of a minor, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
All five accused have been sent to jail, police said.
Probe Into Wider Network
Investigators are now trying to trace the families of the rescued girls and determine how extensive the network was. Police are examining how many girls were brought to Aligarh from other states, how many were allegedly sold and whether the accused had links to people operating in Delhi-NCR.
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The investigation is no longer limited to the five arrests. Police are also trying to establish the role of other people who may have helped transport, sell or accommodate the girls.
For the investigators, the minor's phone call has provided the crucial first break into a suspected network that may have operated across several states.
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