India News | Teen Girl Rescued from Human Trafficking Trap in Mathura

Mathura (UP), Jul 28 (PTI) A 15-year-old girl from Bihar was rescued here after allegedly being trafficked into prostitution by her relatives, police said on Wednesday.

The victim, a resident of Gopalganj in Bihar, was apparently sold to a middle-aged person in Mathura by her relatives, officials said.

"She was sold for Rs 60,000 to a middle-aged person in Mathura by her bua and mausi (aunts) recently," said Narendra Parihar, Mathura district in-charge, Childline helpline.

The girl told the Childline official that the man wanted to use her for prostitution. She was brutally beaten for refusing to get into the flesh trade, the girl told the official.

On July 26, the girl fled her owner's house, and took shelter in a colony falling under the Highway police station area in the district.

The police officials were called after she narrated her plight to residents of the colony.

Anuj Kumar, SHO of Highway police station, said he immediately called authorities of Childline and handed over the girl to them.

After learning about the girl's plight, she was sent for a COVID-19 test and later handed over to the district child welfare committee, officials added.

She was then sent to the Rastriya Mahila Sharnalaya in the district even as the family members have been informed and asked to report to the institute.

According to officials, a case on charges of human trafficking and violation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act will be taken forward.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)