A man and six others were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly trafficking the man’s wife for Rs 50,000, after which she was reportedly subjected to repeated rape and sexual assault in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, police said.
A man and six others were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly trafficking the man’s wife for Rs 50,000, after which she was reportedly subjected to repeated rape and sexual assault in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, police said. According to news agency PTI, the crime surfaced during an investigation into a missing person complaint filed earlier this month at the Palanpur West police station by the husband himself.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Jignesh Gamit said the accused had approached police on May 11, claiming that his wife had disappeared from Palanpur city.
“Within two days of the complaint, the husband himself went missing, following which his father filed another missing person complaint at the Palanpur East police station. This sequence of events raised suspicion during the investigation,” he said.
The events raised suspicion among investigators, who later traced the husband and located the woman. Her formal statement allegedly exposed trafficking, sexual violence, and exploitation.
During the preliminary probe, police allegedly discovered that the husband had sold his wife to his friends for Rs 50,000.
According to Gamit, the survivor told police that the accused repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted her. She also alleged that the men forcibly snatched her jewellery and sold it to local jewellers.
Based on the victim’s statement, police registered a case at the Palanpur West police station under sections related to rape, human trafficking, criminal conspiracy, and other serious offences. Seven accused, including the husband, were subsequently arrested, officials confirmed.
“In the past, he has been involved in cases where he lured and abducted girls despite being married. The police are investigating those past offences as well,” the official said.