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Police have arrested three men for allegedly kidnapping and attempting to sell off a 17-year-old girl from Jharkhand in Rajasthan's Kota district, officials said on Sunday.
The girl and her mother, who were kept locked up in a house here, were rescued on Thursday, they said.
The arrested accused have been identified as 49-year-old Rajendra Mandal alias Raju from Giridih (Jharkhand), 32-year-old Ravi Kumar from Harla (Jharkhand) and local resident Lalit Maheshwari (39). They were arrested on Saturday, Superintendent of Police (City) Sharad Choudhary said.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan activists, with the help of police, late on Thursday rescued the girl and her mother -- also from Giridih district -- from a house in Premnagar Affordable Society. At that time, the accused were allegedly negotiating to get the minor married off for Rs 5 lakh, Choudhary said.
The girl and her mother were brought to Kota on August 24 and held hostage at various places. During this time, the three touts allegedly attempted to get the girl married off for Rs 5 lakh, said Bachpan Bachao Andolan Director Manish Sharma.
The men had also taken their mobile phones away, he added.
The girl managed to get her mobile phone on Thursday and called the NGO helpline following which efforts were made to trace the victims, Sharma said.
The girl was produced before the child welfare committee, which ordered to send her to a juvenile home while her mother was sent to a women's shelter, he said.
The three accused were booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code. They will be produced in court later on Sunday, Udhyog Nagar SHO Manoj Singh Sikarwar said.
The minor victim's statement was recorded on Saturday, he added.
Sharma said, "Trafficking minor girls from Jharkhand for marriage and employment by organised criminal gangs is gaining momentum. Every year, several girls are being rescued from the clutches of child marriage from various places across the country, yet such incidents are not decreasing."
He further said, "Only constant vigilance and awareness can prevent incidents of trafficking and child marriage."