12-year-old Delhi girl rescued from hotel in Ghaziabad, man held

The Ghaziabad police raided a hotel in Bajaria in Ghaziabad and arrested a 30-year-old man found with a 12-year-old girl in one of the rooms.

The Ghaziabad police raided a hotel in Bajaria near Ghaziabad railway junction on Thursday morning and arrested a 30-year-old man found with a 12-year-old girl in one of the rooms. The girl, who is from Delhi, was rescued with the help of women police officials.

Several people pelted stones at the hotel after the police arrived to rescue the girl. (HT Photo)

“The man had lured the girl from Delhi and both were found in a room. Acting on information received, the police team reached the hotel and recovered the girl. Her family was called up and she was handed over to them while the man was arrested. The girl’s family was initially reluctant to lodge an FIR, but later submitted a police complaint,” said Salmantaj Patil, superintendent of police (city).

Later, the police lodged an FIR against the man, Sachin Kumar, under sections 363/366 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Ghanta Ghar Kotwali police station.

Bajaria is known for hotels offering cheap accommodation and primarily catering to small traders and sales personnel visiting Ghaziabad for business. The area is close to the railway station and is surrounded by various retail and wholesale markets. However, during the past several years, some of the hotel owners were found to have rented out rooms to couples.

In August 2013, the police had raided some hotels suspected of running prostitution rackets. However, only four couples out of the 56 detained were booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act while others were let off. The police had also booked a hotel owner, a manager and a receptionist.

“We are also investigating how the hotel management allowed the minor girl entry into the room along with the man. Their involvement will be investigated and action taken accordingly,” Patil said.

“Following the complaint and arrival of police to rescue the girl, several locals hurled stones at the hotel premises and caused minor damages,” he added.