Woman BJP leader, 4 others arrested in human trafficking case in Chhattisgarh

The arrests were made after a married woman, who was abducted and sold off, managed to reach to the police and told her story.

Updated on: Nov 27, 2020, 17:40:35 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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Police arrested five people, including a woman BJP leader of Raipur, in the last five days for their alleged involvement in human trafficking which took place in Dongargarh area of Rajnandgaon district, a senior official said.

Rajnandgaon police in a statement claimed that the arrests were made after a married woman, who was abducted and sold off, managed to reach to the police and told her story.

Police said that the accused were identified as Sajda Sayyad (32), Salman Khan (30), Junaid Khan (22) and Shubham Tiwari, all residents of Dongargarh and were arrested on November 23. Another accused, Ganga Pande, was nabbed on Thursday from her residence in Raipur.

Pande was a ward-level BJP leader in the state capital and was expelled from the party on Friday afternoon.

“After the incident came into light, state BJP president Vishnudeo Sai immediately expelled Pandey from the party. She was ward-level leader from north of Raipur,” said state BJP spokesperson Gaurishankar Srivas.

Rajnandgaon police claimed that the 23-year-old victim in her statement said she was befriended by Sajda and on September 11 was invited to her home for tea. The victim’s 3-year-old son was with her when she reached her house. Subsequently, the accused had offered her tea mixed with some sedatives and after drinking it she fell unconscious.

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When she gained consciousness after a few hours, the victim was at Raipur airport from where she was taken to Delhi on a flight. Three other accused who had accompanied her threatened to kill her son if she narrated the incident to anyone, the police claimed.

From Delhi, the woman and her son were taken to Haryana by road and were kept in a rented house there. Tiwari allegedly raped the woman before she was being sold to a person identified as Suresh for Rs 1 lakh.

“After a few days, the woman tried to escape with her kid from his clutches but she was caught and handed her over to the gang that sold her. The woman was again sold to another man named Rajesh in Haryana for marriage. However, when the woman narrated her ordeal to Rajesh he informed the local police and facilitated her return to Dongargarh,” police said.

“After reaching Dongargarh on November 22, the woman lodged a case in this connection and the four accused of the town were immediately arrested. The investigation revealed the involvement of Ganga Pade, a local politician from Raipur who had arranged for the tickets for the accused to travel to Delhi,” the police said in a statement.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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