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India Today
7 days ago
- India Today
Minors lured, sold into marriage: 2 arrested in UP for human trafficking
Lucknow Police have arrested two traffickers and rescued two minor girls, busting a major human trafficking gang operating in the region. The gang reportedly lured, brainwashed, and sold innocent girls for marriage in Rajasthan and Haryana for to DCP South Nipun Agarwal, the case came to light on June 30 when a 16-year-old girl from Krishnanagar went missing. The girl, a devotee of Saint Premananda, was travelling to Vrindavan to meet him when she was approached at Charbagh railway station by one of the accused, Santosh gained her trust by promising an introduction to the saint. However, the girl soon realised his malicious intent and resisted being taken away by him and his associate, Manish Bhandari. The accused initially tried to coerce the girl but eventually abandoned her at Manak Nagar railway station. The police recovered the girl safely after a missing complaint was filed, and six teams were deployed to search for this, a police surveillance team on Thursday tracked down and arrested Santosh Sahu and Manish Bhandari near Awadh intersection. During interrogation, the accused admitted to luring another minor girl from Raebareli, who was also recovered from a revealed that since 2012, Santosh Sahu and his gang had been trapping young girls by exploiting their emotions and selling them to Manish would purchase the girls for Rs 50,000 and then sell them for forced marriages or other illegal purposes in Rajasthan and Haryana. So far, the gang has sold around 15 girls through this investigations are ongoing.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Lucknow cops crack trafficking syndicate
Lucknow: In a major breakthrough, the Lucknow Police uncovered an inter-state human trafficking syndicate responsible for selling at least 15 minor girls for over Rs 20 lakh over the past three years across Rajasthan, Haryana and other states. The victims, primarily from UP, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat, were lured with false promises and forcibly married to men—some significantly older or mentally unstable—in remote rural areas. The breakthrough came after the south zone crime branch on July 10 arrested two key traffickers Santosh Sahu and his associate Manish Bhandari, who lured girls on the pretext of introducing them to controversial seer Premananda Maharaj. During interrogation, the police found evidence of a deeper trafficking network led by Manish Bhandari, a middleman based outside the state. The police said a minor girl from Ahmedabad was trafficked and married to one Banhi in Gangapur City, Rajasthan for ₹70,000. Another girl from UP was sold for ₹80,000 and forcibly married to one Jeetu in Kumawat colony, Beawar. A third victim, also a minor, was married to a tempo driver in Pali for ₹45,000. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tome uma colher de estômago vazio e veja a gordura descer pelo ralo Revista Saúde Saiba Mais Undo A girl from Chhattisgarh, trafficked and married to a man named Sunil from Sirohi, died shortly after her marriage. She was sold for ₹50,000. DCP, south zone, Nipun Agarwal told TOI, "This is not a case of four or five girls. We have traced at least 15 victims so far and more names are emerging." The police are coordinating with law enforcement agencies in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh to expose the entire trafficking ring.
India Gazette
11-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Odisha: Commuters face inconvenience as drivers' protest enters day 4
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 11 (ANI): Commuters in Odisha face inconvenience as transport services are disrupted due to the Odisha Driver Mahasangh entering its fourth day. The drivers of private buses, trucks, taxis and commercial vehicles have joined a strike since Tuesday over various demands, including the formation of a drivers' welfare fund, pension benefits after 60 years, legal protection from public hostility and designated parking lots and rest rooms with basic facilities every 100 km. Vice-President of Odisha Drivers Federation Santosh Sahu on Thursday said that the association demands government assistance to drivers in case of post-accident violence and inclusion of auto drivers in the Drivers Union. 'Today is the third day of our strike, and we will continue the strike till our demands are met. Our demands are parking and toilet facilities, government assistance to drivers in case of post-accident violence, inclusion of auto drivers in the Drivers Union, and 70% of the drivers should be from the state... There has been no clear assurance from the government on these demands,' he added. A passenger, Virendra Singh, said that everyone across the state is facing issues due to the protest, urging the government to resolve the drivers' demands. 'I had to pay extra Rs 1600 for my commute, as the transport services have been halted... The government must listen to the drivers' demands... Everyone across the state is facing issues,' he said. The strike has crippled transportation, leaving hundreds of people stranded at various bus stands. Fear of a fuel shortage has also led to long queues at fuel stations. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, after attending the 27th Eastern Zonal Council meeting held in Ranchi, said that next year the 28th Eastern Zonal Council meeting will be held in Odisha's Puri. The Chief Minister said that he had proposed to hold this meeting in Odisha next year and this was accepted by Union Minister Amit Shah and all other members. It was announced in the meeting that it will be held in Puri. (ANI)
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Time of India
Two arrested for luring, selling 15 minor girls in Rajasthan, Haryana
Lucknow: The police on Thursday arrested two human traffickers, who used to lure minor girls on the pretext of getting them introduced to seer Premananda Maharaj, and sold them in Rajasthan and Haryana. Those arrested were identified as Santosh Sahu, of Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, and Manish Bhandari, a resident of Ajmer, Rajasthan. The traffickers confessed that they are a part of an inter-state gang, which had sold 15 girls in Rajasthan and Haryana. The police also rescued two minor girls during the operation. The accused told police they used to brainwash the minor girls and take them with them. After this, they sold them in Rajasthan and Haryana for Rs 50,000 each. The police are investigating other networks of the gang. DCP South Nipun Aggarwal said on June 30, a 16-year-old girl went somewhere in the Krishnanagar area without informing her family. As many as six police teams were searching for the minor as the initial lead revealed a human trafficking angle. Later, the minor was recovered from Manak Nagar railway station, and the accused fled from the spot. The DCP said during quizzing, the minor told police that Santosh and Manish took her away from Charbagh railway station and sold her in Rajasthan for Rs 50,000. On Thursday, the police arrested Santosh Sahu alias W, a resident of Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, and Manish Bhandari, a resident of Ajmer, Rajasthan. The DCP South said the accused confessed to their crime during interrogation and disclosed that both of them came in contact with each other in 2012. Santosh Sahu lured and sold about 15 girls since 2012. Manish Bhandari used to buy them for Rs 50,000. The accused Manish told police that the girls were bought and sold to other people for marriage purposes. It surfaced that the minor girl was a devotee of Saint Premanand and she wanted to go to Mathura to pay obeisance to the saint by meeting him. On knowing this, the accused Santosh Sahu took her to Kanpur and then to Shahdol. DCP South said Santosh kept the girl at the house of his acquaintance and on July 6, he took her to Manish Bhandari alias Monu and sold her for Rs 50,000. "The minor girl refused to go with Manish Bhandari. When he tried to force her, she cried and protested. On this, Manish sent the minor back and took back Rs 45,000 and gave Rs 5,000 to Santosh Sahu," the police said.
Hindustan Times
10-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Trafficking racket busted: Two gang members nabbed, two minor girls rescued
LUCKNOW The police on Thursday busted an inter-state human trafficking racket with the arrest of two men in Lucknow and rescued two minor girls, including one trafficked from Lucknow's railway station and another from Rae Bareli. The accused arrested by Lucknow Police. (Sourced) Two key members of the network, Santosh Sahu alias Dabloo, 45, and Manish Bhandari alias Monu, 44, preyed on teenage and young girls on the pretext of marriage. They were nabbed from Krishna Nagar. The arrest opened a can of worms as the accused confessed that they allegedly sold about 12-15 minor girls across other states, said DCP (south) Nipun Agarwal in a presser on Thursday. He said a 16-year-old girl from Lucknow, who had set out to Vrindavan to attend a religious discourse, had fallen into the clutches of child traffickers. The arrest was a joint operation by Krishna Nagar police and the DCP's surveillance cell. The accused Santosh Sahu, a native of Madhya Pradesh, used to loiter around railway stations and bus terminals identifying vulnerable, often runaway girls. 'He would befriend them with false promises of marriage or employment, only to later sell them to his friend Manish Bhandari in Rajasthan for ₹50,000 who would further sell them at higher rates,' added the DCP. According to police, the racket came to light after the father of the 16-year-old girl filed a missing person report on June 30. 'The girl had set out from her home for Vrindavan without informing anyone, after which the family lodged a police complaint on June 30. A multi-team probe was launched, which tracked the digital and physical movements of the accused using CCTV footage, call records and technical surveillance,' said Agarwal. According to ADCP (south) Amit Kumawat, Sahu confessed that he had been in contact with Bhandari since 2012 and had trafficked multiple girls over the years. 'In the most recent case, the minor girl was taken from Lucknow and transported via Kanpur to the first accused's home in Prayagraj, where she was kept. The accused took her to MP's Shadol district and then to Katni, where she was temporarily held and was later handed over to Bhandari. When she cried and resisted, Bhandari returned her and partially refunded the money,'' said police. 'The police eventually rescued the girl from the Manak Nagar railway station on July 8. Another 15-year-old girl from Rae Bareli was also recovered during Sahu's arrest,' said police. Both the accused have a criminal history and have been to jail in Chhattisgarh under human trafficking charges where they became friends. Santosh Sahu is already booked in six serious cases involving kidnapping, rape, Pocso and trafficking across four states while Bhandari has two such cases to his name, said police. 'The police will take the accused on custody remand to dig more about their network spread across other states,' said the DCP.
