Delhi Police bust gang that sold over 100 girls, mostly from Odisha, for forced marriages

New Delhi: The North West Delhi Police has arrested four individuals involved in a child marriage racket. The gang targeted minor girls, marrying them off to older men for Rs 20,000.

They have reportedly sold over a hundred girls, most of whom are from Odisha, police said.

Investigation of a case of a 13-year-old missing girl from Bharat Nagar area of North West Delhi led to busting of the gang.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of North West District, Bhisham Singh, told UNI that they rescued a 13-year-old girl who had gone missing from the Bharat Nagar area of North West Delhi.

The accused have been identified as Rajeev (who married the girl), Vikas (a resident of Hapur), Ashu (from Meerut), and Ramanjot (a resident of Ghaziabad).

"The girl’s parents are separated, and her father had remarried. Distressed due to family issues, she traveled alone to New Delhi and then to Meerut. At Meerut railway station, she met Vikas, who lured her and took her to Shamli district," said Mr. Singh.

Police revealed that Rajeev initially refused to marry her, citing her minor status, but the accused forged an identity card to falsely show her as above 18. Vikas created a fake Aadhaar card for her.

"The girl’s mother reported her missing to the PCR. We traced her through CCTV footage, which showed her heading to Meerut. A police team was dispatched, and further footage revealed she had been taken to Shamli," the police stated.

During the rescue operation, villagers initially resisted, believing it was a legitimate marriage. However, police clarified that the girl was only 13 and that the marriage was forced in exchange for Rs 20,000.

All accused were subsequently arrested. "This is a large-scale operation. We have discovered that the gang has sold over a hundred girls to unmarried men, with most victims hailing from Odisha," said the official.

Further investigations are underway.