A 14-year-old girl was allegedly sold by her mother’s live-in partner to a 40-year-old man in Dholpur who allegedly raped her for nine months, police said on Friday.
The girl was sold in December 2021 but managed to escape from Dholpur and reached Jaipur this week, said Radharaman Gupta, the SHO of Jawahar Circle in the state capital.
A zero FIR has been lodged in Jaipur under relevant sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act based on the girl’s complaint and forwarded to Dholpur for further action, Gupta said.
More sections will be added as the minor girl was sold and trafficked to a different location, he added.
Dholpur Superintendent of Police, Dharmendra Singh, said they received the FIR on Friday. “The probe has been started, girl’s statement will be recorded, and necessary action will be taken,” he added.
According to SHO Gupta, the girl was found by members of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) and handed over to the police.
He said the minor hails from a remote village in Dholpur district and has now been sent to a shelter home in Jaipur after medical examination.
In her statement, the victim stated that she was illegally married to a 40-year old man after her mother’s live-in partner sold her for ₹3 lakh in December last year. She added that the mother’s live-in partner used to physically assault her and harass her saying she was a liability.
{{/usCountry}}In her statement, the victim stated that she was illegally married to a 40-year old man after her mother’s live-in partner sold her for ₹3 lakh in December last year. She added that the mother’s live-in partner used to physically assault her and harass her saying she was a liability.
{{/usCountry}}According to the complaint, the man she was sold to tortured her and sexually assaulted her several times. She was forced to do all the household chores and was severely assaulted for refusing, the complaint stated.
She was also subjected to mental harassment by the man for not being able to conceive a child, according to the complaint.
The girl succeeded in fleeing from the house and reached Jaipur this week, said Gupta.
ANY QUOTES FROM DHOLPUR ADMIN OR POLICE?
BBA director Manish Sharma said, “This incident highlights the plight of victims of child marriage and the pain they go through early in their life. It is high time that child marriage is looked at as a major crime against children rather than an acceptable social practice”.