PHULBANI/BERHAMPUR: In a major breakthrough, Kotagarh police under Kandhamal’s Baliguda sub-division rescued a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly trafficked and sold for Rs 70,000 in Madhya Pradesh (MP) in July this year.
The girl, missing for over three months, was traced to Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district and brought home on Saturday after a joint operation by police teams from Odisha and MP. Three persons, including the prime accused, have been arrested.
The accused are Shashibhushan Pani (28) of Malipada under Tumudibandha police limits besides Mahesh Patel (38) and Sandeep Patel (24), from Jaisiv Nagar in Sagar district. Mahesh and Sandeep are brothers.
Police said Pani was staying in Malipada for about a year. During his stay, he befriended a family under Kotagarh police limits and won their trust with the promise of securing a job for their 14-year-old daughter. He assured them of a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 for the girl. Subsequently, the girl left home with Pani in July.
However, instead of providing her the promised job, Pani allegedly kept her in a lodge in MP for a few days before selling her to the Patel brothers for Rs 70,000. The victim also alleged that Pani raped her while transporting her to MP.
Police said the brothers confined her for almost two months, subjected her to physical and mental torture, and tried to force her into marriage with Mahesh.
On the other hand, after receiving the money, Sashibhushan went to Malipada and informed the girl’s parents that their daughter was doing well in her job, but did not disclose the location of her workplace. Although this made the parents suspicious, they chose to remain silent, hoping for their daughter’s well-being.
However, the girl’s family members grew increasingly worried when she didn’t contact them for weeks. On October 21, the minor managed to call her elder sister and reveal her ordeal. Subsequently, her family lodged a complaint with Kotagarh police basing on which an investigation was launched.
A team led by Kotagarh IIC Anand Chandra Patra tracked down Pani in Malipada and arrested him on October 21. During interrogation, he broke down and confessed to selling the girl. Basing on his statement, a special team was formed and sent to MP.
Police said the brothers had changed their accommodation multiple times to avoid detection. But with help of the local police, the team from Kotagarh eventually traced the girl to Jaisiv Nagar in Sagar district and rescued her on November 3. The Patel brothers were arrested.
IIC Patra said all the three accused were produced in court on Saturday. “The girl has been reunited with her family after medical examination. Efforts are underway to trace another suspect involved in the case,” he added.