Gajapati couple held for selling girl

BERHAMPUR: A youth from Haryana was arrested from Gajapati'sMohana area on Wednesday for allegedly sexually exploiting a teenager for five years. A couple was also arrested from Mohana for selling the girl to the youth for Rs 90,000.
Those arrested were identified as Kuldip Payal (28) of Sandawa from Haryana's Bhiwani district, Prema Naik and his wife Rama of Paipada village, said IIC of Mohana police station Binay Kumar Minz on Thursday.The victim from Kuipada village near Mohana is now aged 19 years and is the mother of three children, two daughters and a son.
Police said the victim was taken to New Delhi by the accused couple on promises of a job, around six years ago. She had her parents consent. The couple had engaged her as a domestic help. After a year, the accused couple sold her off to Kuldip.
Besides sexually exploiting her, Kuldip engaged her in household and farm work. She had given birth of two daughters at his house in December 2008 and June 2011. He had also threatened her not to give birth to a girl again.
The fact came to light when the victim managed to flee from her village along with her two children (the son was born after her return to Mohana) from Haryana in November and apprised the district administration of her plight.
District Labour Officer (DLO) M L Nayak and police jointly inquired into the trafficking of minor girls to outside the state to be engaged as child labourers. Police registered the case against the trio basing on the FIR lodged by Nayak.
Kuldip came to the victim's house, around a week ago, and claimed her to be his wife. He wanted her to accompany him along with the children. When she refused, he asked her to return the Rs 90,000 with which he had bought her. But was arrested as the victim had already moved the administration.