Two men have been arrested for allegedly trafficking a 15-year-old Bangladeshi girl to Delhi and plotting to sell her abroad using social networks.
The two accused have been identified as Alam Giri and Raj Kumar Pandey, both of whom were distant relatives of the victim, and were arrested by the East Delhi Police from Mandawli and Nizamuddin area.
The girl was brought to India two years ago and confined by the duo, who were using social networks like WhatsApp and Facebook to send the girl's photos abroad and negotiate with foreign customers, police said.
"They had even finalized a deal with someone in France and the girl was soon supposed to be 'transported' to her buyer," a senior police official said.
However, the girl somehow managed to flee from their clutches with the help of her 27-year-old boyfriend.
The incident came to light when the girl reached Karkardooma Court along with her lover to marry him. When she revealed her age, their advocate informed police.
"When we inquired with her, she revealed her ordeal to us. We then raided the hideouts of Alam Giri and Raj Kumar Pandey and arrested them," a senior police official said.
Further investigations revealed that a woman named Beauty Akhtar, who is currently in Bangladesh to get her passport renewed, is the kingpin of the gang.
Police is scanning the social media accounts of the arrested duo to find out whether they had sold other trafficked girls in the past as well.
"We have registered a case under sections of human trafficking and six acts of Protection of Children from Sexual Abuse (POCSO) at Mandawali police station. Further investigations are on and efforts will be made to nab the other members of the gang," the official added.
