Minor Girl 'Sold Off' By Parents Into Marriage, Gangraped By In-Laws

A 17-year-old girl, who was 'sold off' by her parents into marriage and gang-raped by her in-laws, has been rescued by the police.

The incident happened in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The minor, a college student, was rescued by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) after she fled from her marital home to another Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, reports India Today.

The victim, a second-year BA student, was married off against her wishes on Nov. 30, 2020, to a person from a nearby village by her parents and maternal uncle.

She alleges that she was repeatedly raped by her husband's brother and sister-in-law's husband after marriage. When she complained to her husband and father-in-law about the rape, the men said they had "purchased" her from her maternal uncle and she had to do whatever they asked her to.

When she refused, her husband and father-in-law took her to an unknown place where she was raped for months by her brother-in-law and other men. They also recorded her naked and uploaded it on social media. The girl claimed she escaped their clutches and went to her uncle's home.

The victim begged her uncle to approach the police but was reportedly restrained from doing so. When she realized that her uncle wasn't going to help her, the girl boarded a train to Rajasthan on April 7. The train ticket examiner suspected that the girl had fled from her house and alerted the Railway Protection Force officials.

She was in a state of shock when rescued. The RPF produced her in front of the Child Welfare Committee, following which the girl was given counseling. It was then that she opened up to the authorities about the rapes.

According to CWC chairman Kaniz Fatima, a case has been registered against the family members for "selling" the minor into a marriage. Her in-laws have also been booked for physical exploitation and rape. The girl was sent to a shelter home Saturday night.

In a similar incident, a six-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by her grandfather and uncle in front of her toddler brother. The incident happened in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh last week but only came to light Thursday when the girl’s mother confronted her. The accused men had reportedly bribed the little girl with snacks and 30 cents to keep silent about the assault.