New Delhi, May 10: A gang that allegedly kidnapped schoolgirls from northwest and outer Delhi and sold them in Rajasthan and Mumbai has been busted by the Delhi Police.
A woman identified as Bina is among four arrested gang members. The police identified the rest as Ashok Lal, Shyam Lal and Mangal Kumar.
The police are now trying to trace another woman believed to be the gang leader in charge of financial transactions.
All the arrested originally hail from Mundawar village in Alwar district. DCP ( West) Sharad Aggarwal said: “ Most of the girls rescued from the gang’s clutches are aged between five and eight years. These girls would be kept as domestic helps till a certain age and then pushed into prostitution.” Two girls were kidnapped from Sultanpuri in 2009.
“ Another girl is so traumatised that she can’t recall her name, her parents’ names and where she comes from. All the three girls have been sent for counselling,” Aggarwal said.
Following the arrests, a team of the Delhi Police raided two villages and rescued the three girls. “ Bina had purchased one of the girls aged five for Rs 45,000. The girl was to be kept as a maid before being pushed into prostitution or sold further,” Aggarwal said.
Police questioning of the arrested gang members revealed that Rama ( not her real name) who is yet to be arrested worked as an assistant for a contractor, whose company supplied food to primary schools in the Capital.
“ She came up with the idea of kidnapping girls and supplying them to other states, where they would either work as maids or be forced into prostitution,” a police officer said.
Rama used to identify girls from weaker economic backgrounds and befriend their families.
Once she would win their trust, she used to sneak out with the girls. “ By the time their parents would approach the police it would be too late with the girls transported out of the city,” the officer added.
—Agencies