It is not the story of Thomas Hardy’s classic ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ where a clergy man auctioned his wife for 5 pounds, but it happens in a real life in Bargarh district of the state where one husband sold out his wife for just Rs.25,000/-. The fact came to light after police rescued the lady and arrested the husband on the complaint of the victim’s father. Police arrested the mediator of the deal but the purchaser remained at large as he managed to flee. Police registered a case and forwarded the accused persons on Friday after returning from MP.
“After receiving complaint from the victim’s father, we started in search of the girl. On our investigation we located her in a remote
Sources said, accused Pradip Sahu of Ghulipali under Bargarh police station was married to the daughter of Janma Sahi of Majhiapara under Melchhamunda police station of the district couple of year back.
On last 29th January victim father came with an allegation against the accused for selling his daughter somewhere in Madhya Pradesh. SP (Bargarh)
“We returned the victim to her parents and arrested the husband Pradeep Sahu and one mediator Minaketan Sahu u/s 368/366/120b and 34 IPC and forwarded them to the judicial custody”, DSP Nayak added.
However when the incident has created a sharp reaction among the locals, police are yet to find out the actual reason which prompted the accused to take such a step.
“We are yet to ascertain the reason behind taking such a step by the accused person who married the lady as per rituals. Investigation is on to find out the exact circumstances and reason behind the transaction.”, DSP Nayak ascertained.
Further investigation revealed a link of the case with a racket active in woman trafficking in the region
During interrogation of the accused persons of the wife-selling incident, Bargarh police have unearthed a possible link of the case with a racket of woman-trafficking that is active in the region in the name of marriage. How-ever police are yet to confirm it because of the part of the investigation that has to be carried out in Madhya Pradesh.
“We can not make sure whether it is a part of women-trafficking or not. To confirm it we need more investigation. We are planning to depute a team to Madhya Pradesh for further investigation. But we are sure that the lady was sold by her husband for money and nothing else”, the SP (Bargarh)
Sources said, police rescued a married lady from Madhya Pradesh on Friday who was allegedly sold by her husband for Rs.25 thousand. Police took the step after receiving complaint from the father of the lady. The lady who conceived of 3 months pregnancy was rescued from the house of one Dashrath Lodha of Hirpur village under Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh. The police returned her to her parents after medically examined her in Bargarh.
“Since our prime job was to rescue the victim lady, we did it. We also arrested both of the accused persons involved in the case, the husband of the lady and one mediator. But the purchaser is yet to be arrested as he managed to flee from his house before police’s raid”, SP (Bargarh) Thankappan told.
Sources said, accused Pradip Sahu of Ghulipali under Bargarh police station was having love affairs with the daughter of Janma Sahu of Majhiapara under Melchhamunda police station of the district and subsequently they got married in 2008. After keeping her in the house for a year, accused Pradip took her to Madhya Pradesh during Oct 2009 with the help one Minaketan Sahu of Padmapur (Bargarh) where he sold her for money. Janma Sahu, father of the victim girl lodged a compliant before the police after Pradip tried to avoid him. “I lodged the compliant with police when I did not find her”, Janma Sahu told.
On the other hand the accused Pradip confessed before the police that he was shaded for the money which prompted him to sell his wife. “I was in need of money to purchase a motor cycle for my use so when Minaketan gave the idea I agreed. We took her to Madhya Pradesh in search of job. I identified me as her brother and Minaketan as her father. We remained there for 10 days and came back leaving her in the house of Dasrath”, accused Pradip confessed during police interrogation.
Sources said, Minaketan had earlier provided several girls of the region to the people of Madhya Pradesh for marriage purpose. Convincing poor parents of the region, he had arranged several such marriages with the people of Madhya Pradesh. During the course of interrogation, he claimed to have taken only Rs.3000/- as a lion share was taken by the police and a Dalal of Madhya Pradesh who were involved in the deal. “From the statement of Minaketan we suspect a racket of women-trafficking that is active in the region. But we have to ascertained more facts to confirm our apprehension’, a senior police officer of Bargarh told.
On the other hand the victim lady was totally ignorant about her selling. She went in search of job with her husband and Minaketan. Both lied her and come back leaving her alone in the house of Dashrath who later kept her as wife. “I was forced to agree with the proposal of Dashrath as he was the brother of Sarapanch of the village”, the victim girl told.
It may be informed here that because of drastic declination of female ratio, people of Madhya Pradesh are coming to Orissa to ‘purchase’ bride. Many poor parents of the region are forced to agree with such marriage proposal because of prevent costly marriages affairs. As in such marriages they get handsome amount from the male side with out spending a pie. There are 975 girls per 1,000 boys in 1981which declines to 932 girls as per Census 2001 of Madhya Pradesh
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