In a disturbing human trafficking case, a 14-year-old girl from Ahmedabad’s Sarkhej area was abducted and sold to a man in Rajasthan under the pretense of marriage. The girl’s neighbours, Bharatji alias Govindji Thakor and his wife Bharti Thakor, allegedly orchestrated the crime and received Rs5 lakh in exchange.
The girl went missing from her home on April 29, prompting her foster parents to file a complaint with Sarkhej police. Suspicion grew when the Thakors, their immediate neighbours, disappeared the same day.
An investigation revealed that the couple, along with an accomplice named Tina Thakor, had trafficked the minor to Rajasthan. There, she was forcibly “married” to a man named Veersinh Rathod. The Sarkhej police acted swiftly, tracing the girl to Banaskantha and rescuing her safely.
ACP AB Valand of M Division confirmed that this incident appears linked to a broader trafficking racket targeting underage girls under the guise of arranged marriages.
Further investigation uncovered four additional suspects: Vanraj Rathod, Meghraj Rathod, and Hina Rathod from Banaskantha, and Veersinh Rathod from Rajasthan. All are currently on the run.
Authorities say the girl was only with Veersinh Rathod for one night and was then returned, indicating the traffickers may have deceived even the buyer.
The arrested suspects hail from Mehsana and Banaskantha. Police suspect that organized middlemen are facilitating the trafficking ring and have intensified efforts to uncover the full network.
