13-Year-Old Ranchi Girl Trafficked, Raped By Truck Driver, And Abandoned In Lucknow, 2 Arrested: Police
A 13-year-old girl from Ranchi was allegedly trafficked and repeatedly raped by a truck driver and abandoned in Lucknow.
A 13-year-old girl from Jharkhand's Ranchi was allegedly trafficked to Lucknow, where she was repeatedly raped by a truck driver before being abandoned by the roadside, according to the police on Monday. The incident came to light after the girl's family reported her missing on August 16 when she did not return home from school. A case was subsequently lodged at the Tamar police station in Ranchi on Sunday, leading to the arrest of two individuals.
According to Roshan Kumar, the in-charge of Tamar police station, the girl disclosed that she was initially taken to the Bundu bus stand on August 16 by a youth known to her, news agency PTI reported. From there, she was handed over to another acquaintance who took her to Patna. In Patna, the second youth abandoned her in a truck, where the driver allegedly raped her multiple times before leaving her in Lucknow.
"We have arrested the two youths based on the FIR lodged on Sunday. There are several missing links in her statement. We are trying to connect them through various means," Roshan Kumar stated.
The case has been registered under sections related to rape, human trafficking, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he added.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rati Bhan Singh informed PTI that an investigation has been initiated to verify the claims made by the victim. "The medical examination of the girl is being conducted," Singh said.
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Child Rights Activist Alleges Girl Sold To Truck Driver In Patna, Lucknow Police Didn't Lodge FIR
Child rights activist Baidyanath Kumar, who has been involved in the case since the missing person's complaint was filed, alleged that the girl was sold to the truck driver in Patna. He further claimed that the girl was discovered by the local police in Lucknow on August 20. However, instead of registering an FIR, they handed her over to the Rajkiya Balika Griha in Lucknow.
The girl was eventually brought back to Tamar from Lucknow on September 1. Initially, her parents were hesitant to lodge an FIR regarding the ordeal their daughter faced. However, they eventually agreed, and the complaint was filed on Sunday, Kumar added, as per PTI.