PALANPUR: A shocking case of human trafficking and sexual assault has emerged from Gujarat's Banaskantha district, where a man allegedly sold his wife to his friends for Rs 50,000. The victim was subsequently raped and sexually assaulted, police said on Tuesday.
How the crime came to light
According to police, the crime was uncovered during the investigation of a missing person complaint filed by the husband earlier this month at the Palanpur West police station. Deputy superintendent of police Jignesh Gamit said the accused approached police on May 11, claiming his wife had gone missing from Palanpur city.
However, within two days of filing the complaint, the husband himself went missing. This led his father to file another missing person complaint at the Palanpur East police station. The sequence of events raised suspicion among investigators.
Investigation details
Police later traced the husband and located his wife. Her formal statement allegedly revealed the details of the crime. During the preliminary investigation, it was found that the husband had sold his wife to his friends for Rs 50,000.
The victim alleged that the accused repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped her. They also forcibly took her jewelry and sold it to local jewelers. Based on her statement, police registered a case at the Palanpur West police station under sections related to rape, human trafficking, criminal conspiracy, and other offenses. Seven persons, including the husband, were subsequently arrested.
Previous criminal record
Police also discovered that the main accused had a history of criminal activity. In the past, he had been involved in cases where he lured and abducted girls despite being married. The police are investigating those past offenses as well.
The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy, as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault.
