Minor girl attempts suicide after being held by traffickers

A minor girl who was allegedly sold by human traffickers attempted suicide by consuming some poisonous substance after she was not allowed to go back to her mother by those who had purchased her.

The matter was exposed after the minor was admitted to the district hospital after her condition deteriorated yesterday, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rajesh Dandotiya said here today.

The minor girl was allegedly sold by a woman along with her associates to a man identified as Rajendra Singh Solanki, he said.

She was sold by Suman Bai and one Amravati-based Sanjay through one Umraosingh and Udaysingh to Solanki who was unmarried and wanted to get "married" for Rs 37,000 on August 15 at Mortakka in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.

Solanki then "married" the girl allegedly against her wishes who insisted that she wanted to go back to her mother.

When Solanki did not allow her to go back, she consumed some poisonous substance after which she was brought to the Khandwa district hospital in a serious condition.

In her statement to tehsildar Ashish Khare, she narrated her ordeal, after which her so called "husband" Solanki was arrested by the police.

The minor said she was brought by Suman Bai to Akola from Amravati's Pati village where they met Sanjay, after which both of them took her to Laundhi village.

They forcibly "married" her and did not allow her to return to her mother after which she took the extreme step, she said in her statement.

A police team was dispatched to Amravati to trace others involved in the human trafficking racket.

A case was registered under Section 376, 370, 370 (a) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code in this regard, the ASP said.