In Maharashtra's Palghar, 4 booked for 'selling' tribal woman for Rs 3 lakh
The survivor was allegedly trafficked under the guise of marriage, tortured by in-laws, and denied food during her pregnancy
Police in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on Wednesday (January 7) registered a case against four persons over the alleged sale of a 20-year-old tribal woman for Rs 3 lakh under the guise of marriage and her subsequent harassment, an official source said.
Tribal woman trafficked for Rs 3 lakh
The woman, who belongs to the local Katkari community, alleged that she was forced to marry a man from Nashik in May 2024.
The official added, citing a first-information report, that the man and his mother allegedly paid Rs 3 lakh to two middlemen, who trafficked the young woman and arranged the marriage.
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The complainant said she was physically and mentally tortured in her husband’s family and was frequently targeted with casteist slurs.
She also accused her husband of assaulting her and depriving her of timely meals when she was pregnant.
Case registered, probe underway
The woman returned to her mother’s house in June 2025 after the birth of her son.
The matter came to light on Tuesday (January 6), when the accused attempted to take her child away, leading to police intervention, the official said.
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A case has been registered against the man, his mother and the two middlemen at the Wada Police Station in Palghar under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, said Inspector Dattatray Bajirao Kindre. He added that an investigation is underway.
(With agency inputs)