Kidnapped 7 years ago, girl returns to sister’s home in Kalyan

Teenager was trafficked, raped, sold in ‘marriage’, birthed two children. Police now look to crack trafficking ring all the way to Rajasthan

THANE: “E Ladki!” It may sound like an innocent call to a child, but for a nine-year-old girl from Kalyan, it marked the beginning of a seven-year nightmare in Rajasthan. This is a story of abduction, trafficking, rape, and child marriage – and of escape. Now 16, and in the safety of her older sister’s home in Kalyan, the words “E Ladki” still ring in her ears—a haunting echo of everything she has survived.

The girl kept up the charade for five years, before planning her escape on April 5, 2025

The Mahatma Phule police in Kalyan have arrested two persons, including her 30-year-old “husband” and his brother, who allegedly sold her for ₹3.35 lakh.

The girl’s parents, who work as toilet cleaners, had raised her in difficult conditions, and she spent her early years accompanying them while managing to study for a few years. The girl recalls, “I was on my way to my sister’s house in Kalyan East. Near the Rambaug area, a woman and a man called out to me – “E Ladki!” – those words still send chills down my spine. The woman grabbed my hand and said she would take me back home. Instead, she took me to a van, and as soon as the door closed, they slapped me three or four times and told me to stay quiet.”

She said, “We boarded a train at CST (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus). They covered me with a blanket and told me to sleep. I was exhausted and in pain from the beating, and cried myself to sleep. When we reached Udaipur, I was taken to two different villages. In one of them, I was locked in a room with 10 to 12 other girls. I tried to escape, but a woman caught me, thrashed me and dragged me back.”

She said her abductors then took measurements of her body, making her hold a slate in front of her, as the police do with criminals. Then, they took pictures.

She was then taken to a village in Prataphgarh district in Rajasthan, and locked inside a house for a few months. After that, she was sold in marriage for ₹3 lakh to a man who, in turn, sold her to Vikesh Nat, her “husband”, for ₹3.3 lakh. “I had two children, at the age of 12 and 14, and was repeatedly raped by my husband and his cousin.”

The girl kept up the charade for five years. “I pretended to go along with them, telling everyone I was an orphan and pretending I wouldn’t go against these men’s wishes. But on April 5 this year, while my husband was away, I picked up the courage to escape. I sold my nose pin, and took two buses to Mumbai. I finally made it to Kalyan and went straight to my sister’s house.”

Senior Police Inspector of the Mahatma Phule Police Station, Dnyaneshwar Sable, said, “We have arrested her husband, Vikesh Nat (30), and his brother, Dinesh Nat. Vikesh has confessed that he bought the girl for ₹3.35 lakh. Our team is currently in Rajasthan to hunt down the other people involved in the trafficking racket.”

DCP Atul Zende confirmed that the two arrested accused have been charged with kidnapping and child sexual offences under the stringent POCSO Act, 2012. Investigations are underway, he added.

Police have recovered disturbing videos from Vikesh Nat’s mobile phone. In some clips, young girls are being measured for their height while holding sheets of paper displaying their names and other details. One particularly disturbing video shows a girl lying apparently unconscious and unclothed, her hands tied and face covered with a dupatta. Around her, incense sticks and a lit oil lamp have been placed near boxes filled with cash. Two men can be heard in the background on a phone call, saying, “It’s done – do whatever you want.”

Former corporator from Kalyan, Uday Rasal and social worker Raj Asarondkar, founder of Kaydyane Vaga, have offered to support the girl under Asarondkar’s ‘Let’s Find the Missing Girls’ campaign to rehabilitate missing and trafficked girls.

“She reached her sister’s house on April 7. They came to me for help around the 20th, and after some persuasion, agreed to approach the police. Her husband was called to Kalyan, and when he arrived, all evidence—including photos and phone data—was handed over to the police, who arrested him,” said Rasal.

Kalyan police have launched an investigation to verify details shared by the girl. Medical tests are being conducted to determine her age, and her children have been brought to Mumbai for DNA testing and further verification.