Nagpur, July 29: After being raped by three men in December last year and sold thrice in a span of three months earlier this year, 26-year-old Sangeeta (name changed), who is now six months pregnant, had given up all hopes of returning to normal life. However, Rajaram, her second buyer, who had paid Rs 2 lakhs, turned out to be a Good Samaritan as he brought her back to Nagpur from Ujjain, where she had been sold, and helped register a police complaint.
On Saturday, two days after Sangeeta had filed the complaint, the Lakadganj police arrested five people, including two women, on various charges. Another five have been booked in the case.
Shaikh Asif (27), Shaikh Ayub (32) and Shaikh Abid alias Abu (28), who is also Sangeeta's neighbour, have confessed to raping her. Nisha Verma (30) and Chandrakala Satpute (36), alias Chanda, admitted that they had lured Sangeeta with promises of marrying her off into an affluent family and then sold her. All the offenders are residents of Shanti Nagar slums, behind Itwari railway station, where Sangeeta too used to reside.
The case has once again brought to fore kidnapping and trafficking of girls from the city to other states for sexual exploitation. The police believe that the women are part of a gang that is into this shady business. Last month, a married woman was rescued from Rajkot where she had been sold for Rs1 lakh.
Sangeeta, a Std 10 pass, had been living in fear for the last three months in Ujjain. Rajaram took pity on Sangeeta on learning that she is pregnant. "He took me to a police station in Ujjain. Then, a constable and Rajaram accompanied me to Nagpur," Sangeeta told TOI, adding that she could not contact her family as the rapists had broken her cell phone, in her house.
The Lakadganj police have booked Rajaram, who has now returned to Ujjain, too for "buying" Sangeeta.
According to investigating officer DP Sonune, Sangeeta first came into contact with Chanda who then introduced her to Asif. Chanda would meet Sangeeta at the place where she worked as a domestic help.
"On December 26, Asif raped her near the Itwari railway crossing. He continued to abuse her for two weeks and later invited Ayub and Abid too. They too raped her separately," said Sonune.
After a month, Sangeeta learnt about her pregnancy and alerted Chanda who asked her not to reveal it to her parents. As Asif had threatened to kill her and her family, Sangeeta did not file a police complaint. Chanda assured Sangeeta all help to abort the baby.
"Following Chanda's suggestion, Sangeeta moved in with her in the first week of May. On May 20, Chanda handed her over to Shekhar (another accused) who took her to Ujjain and sold her," said Sonune. Sangeeta's family filed a missing complaint on May 20.
"I trusted Chanda like my elder sister but she betrayed me. A day before Shekhar took me to Ujjain on May 19, Chanda told me that she had found a good groom from a wealthy family for me," said Sangeeta. She also alleged that Chanda had mixed some drugs in her dinner before she boarded the train for Ujjain along with Shekhar and an unidentified woman who is supposed to be his girlfriend.
On May 22, Shekhar sold Sangeeta to one Devi Singh for Rs1.5 lakhs in Ujjain. Singh then sold her to Bhanu Singh for the same cost. Police said Bhanu Singh was not told about Sangeeta's pregnancy and hence married her on May 27.
Bhanu Singh 'raped' Sangeeta for two weeks and then handed her back to Devi Singh on learning about her pregnancy. Devi Singh then sold her to Rajaram for Rs2 lakhs.
Sangeeta now plans to give birth to the child and give it away for adoption.
Sonune said a team has been sent to Ujjain to nab Devi Singh, Bhanu Singh and Rajaram. The police are also on the lookout for Shekhar and his girlfriend.
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