Hathras: One held as police rescue Chhattisgarh tribal teen sold for Rs 30,000

A 19-year-old tribal girl from Chhattisgarh was rescued in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district on 1 July after she was allegedly trafficked for an amount of Rs 30,000, police said on 6 July.

The police have arrested a woman named Kalpana Mandal in connection with the incident.

In June this year, the teenage victim had walked out of her home after a heated argument with her family. Pradesh18 quoted the police as saying that the girl's parents had lodged a missing persons complaint on 20 June, after which a team was constituted to trace her whereabouts.

Police said that the accused, Mandal, had approached the girl after she realised that the teen was on her own. She allegedly lured her to Odisha on the pretext of an excursion before taking her to Uttar Pradesh, where she sold her off to an elderly man in Hathras for Rs 30,000.

Mandal has reportedly confessed to the crime. Another woman who is allegedly involved is still absconding.

The police is now interrogating Mandal to ascertain if the accused are linked to any larger trafficking networks.