Uttar Pradesh Police have successfully arrested four individuals involved in an interstate child trafficking operation, rescuing two missing girls from their custody. The arrests came after a series of investigations that revealed the gang’s involvement in trafficking girls for forced marriages and domestic labor across state borders.
According to Ballia Superintendent of Police (SP), Omvir Singh, the investigation started after Kalyatri Prajapati, a 17-year-old girl, went missing on December 24. She had gone to attend a practical exam at Maniyar Inter College but failed to return home. Her mother filed a missing person’s report on December 29, which led to the registration of a case.
Similarly, Anjali Rajbhar, a 16-year-old Class 10 student, disappeared on January 13 after going to the same school. A complaint was filed by her family on January 22, marking the beginning of another investigation.
The police gathered crucial evidence and conducted multiple raids based on the findings, eventually leading to the arrests of Ashok Kumar Kumawat (25) and Kishan Bhati from Pali district, Rajasthan, along with Mohan Yadav (24) from Gaura Bagahi, Maniyar, and a 17-year-old boy on Saturday.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to being part of a larger interstate trafficking network that targeted girls who had been estranged from their families. These girls were then sold into marriages or forced into domestic labor in different states.
In addition to the arrests, the police recovered Rs 35,000 from the possession of the suspects.
