Hyderabad Police Rescue Tribal Women from Forced Marriage in Madhya Pradesh
In a significant breakthrough, Hyderabad police have successfully rescued two tribal women who were allegedly sold to businessmen in Madhya Pradesh for ₹2.5 lakh each. The operation culminated six months after the women were reported missing from Macherial town in Telangana.
Details of the Trafficking Operation
Police have arrested three individuals for their involvement in the human trafficking case. The accused allegedly posed as family members of the victims and forcibly transported them to Madhya Pradesh, where they were married off to two local businessmen in exchange for money.
The three brokers have been charged under Section 318(4) for cheating and Section 143 for trafficking under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Authorities confirm that the key accused in the case remains at large, with ongoing efforts to apprehend them.
Background of the Victims
The two victims, aged 24 and 26, belong to a village in Bejjur mandal of Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district. They had been residing in Macherial town since May 2025 and were employed at a shopping mall there.
The incident first came to light in September 2025 when a 65-year-old tribal woman from their village filed a missing person's complaint regarding her daughter and her friend. According to the complainant, the women were last seen during a local festival in June 2025 and had been untraceable since July of that year.
Investigation and Rescue Operation
During the initial investigation, Bejjur police reported finding no substantial clues. However, recent intelligence led authorities to the women's location in a Madhya Pradesh town, where they were traced on March 14.
Police discovered that both women had been married to local businessmen, with one of them currently pregnant. The victims and their husbands were brought to Bejjur to record their statements as part of the investigation.
Modus Operandi of the Traffickers
The husbands informed police that in July 2025, a man named Prashant alias Babloo and his wife Savita from Mancherial approached them through intermediaries Mahesh and Rahul. Prashant falsely claimed to be the maternal uncle of the prospective brides, facilitating the marriage proposal.
The businessmen paid ₹2.5 lakh each to the middlemen as brokerage fees. The women revealed to investigators that Prashant and Savita were their neighbors in Mancherial and that they had initially rejected the couple's 'money for marriage' proposal.
Despite their refusal, the couple, along with Mahesh, forcibly took the women to Madhya Pradesh by train and conducted their marriages in a temple.
Legal Proceedings and Current Status
Based on confessions obtained during the investigation, police arrested Prashant, Savita, and Mahesh on Thursday. They were produced before the local court and remanded to judicial custody on Friday.
The two tribal women have been safely brought back to their home state. Police continue their efforts to apprehend the remaining key accused, Rahul, who is currently absconding.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges of human trafficking in vulnerable communities and underscores the importance of vigilant law enforcement in protecting marginalized individuals from exploitation.
