Mother ‘sells own daughter, 15, as bride for £1,200 and files fake abduction claim’ | World | News

A woman has been arrested after police alleged she falsely reported her 15-year-old daughter had been abducted when investigators claim she had instead arranged for the teenager to be sold as a bride for around £1,200. Police in Dehradun, in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, said the girl was found in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh following a month-long investigation involving CCTV footage, digital surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Officers said the girl’s mother reported her daughter missing on July 5, claiming she had been abducted. Nitin Lohani, deputy superintendent of police for Dalanwala, said: “Taking the complaint seriously, we immediately registered an FIR and launched an investigation. We gathered inputs through CCTV footage, manual intelligence and digital surveillance for one month and found the girl in Muzaffarnagar.”

Police said their investigation led to the arrest of two men from Muzaffarnagar and Meerut.

During questioning, officers allege the pair told investigators the girl’s mother had agreed to sell her daughter to Pinki Malik, a woman who was looking for a bride for a man she knew.

According to police, the girl’s mother and Malik met at a public function several months earlier, where the alleged arrangement was discussed.

Mr Lohani said: “The girl’s mother told Malik she could sell her own daughter for the purpose, and the two agreed on Rs 1.5 lakh (£1,200).”

Police allege Malik later handed the teenager to one of the arrested men, who then allegedly sold her on to another man for Rs 2 lakh (£1,500).

Officers claim the girl’s mother received only part of the agreed payment and was promised the rest later.

Investigators allege the woman later filed the false abduction complaint after the remaining money was not paid.

Police said the girl’s mother, Malik, and the two men have all been arrested and appeared before a local court, which remanded them in custody.

The suspects have been booked under several sections of India’s Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including offences relating to rape, abduction and human trafficking, along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police said the teenager is receiving support while the investigation continues, including efforts to establish whether anyone else was involved.