Dhenkanal: In a horrifying case of alleged child trafficking and sexual assault, a minor tribal girl from Kamakshyanagar was allegedly sold in Uttar Pradesh twice and gangraped many times before she managed to escape.
After she narrated her ordeal before the police following her return to Odisha, a thorough investigation has been launched and efforts are on to trace and apprehend the man who had trafficked her.
Police sources said the girl has filed a complaint alleging sexual assault in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh after a man from Odisha sold her there. Based on her complaint, a thorough probe has been initiated. The man, who initially deceived her with the promise of a job, is currently on the run and efforts are on to trace him, said Jitendra Mallick, Inspector in-Charge (IIC) of Kamakshyanagar police station.
According to the complaint, trouble for the girl began two years ago in Kankadahada area of Dhenkanal district, where she was living following her mother’s second marriage. A local man approached the girl, offering her employment in Bhubaneswar. However, the complainant and three other girls were allegedly sent to Uttar Pradesh instead of Bhubaneswar and handed over to a man identified as Asish Yadav in Jhansi district.
In her complaint, the 17-year-old girl claimed that she was confined to Asish Yadav’s home in Jhansi, where she was repeatedly assaulted by both Asish and his father, Kalyan Yadav, for over three months. When she became pregnant, Asish’s mother reportedly arranged for a forced medical abortion.
Thereafter, the girl was sold to one Chandrapal Kushwah, who stayed around 10 km away, for Rs 50,000. Chandrapal raped her first and then his family members, including his elder brother and two uncles, sexually assaulted the girl.
The ordeal continued for around two years before she managed to escape one night with the assistance of a local advocate and reached Jhansi district headquarters. The Jhansi police took her statement about the horrific experience. However, instead of taking action against the perpetrators, they simply bought her a train ticket and put her on a train back to Odisha.
After reaching Kamakshyanagar, the girl mustered courage to approach local authorities, who recorded her statement. Police are making coordinated efforts to trace the main suspect and bust the interstate trafficking racket.