Trafficking racket busted in Rohtas, four arrested

Sasaram: Police on Sunday arrested four people in Bikramganj, including a woman, in connection with an alleged trafficking racket that lured a poor family with promises of marrying their daughter into a well-settled household.

Those arrested included the groom, Nirmal Lal, a resident of Sawai Pur in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, and his father Ratanlal. Police also detained Sanjay Sah, a resident of Simaria under Karghar police station, along with his wife Ruby Devi. The couple is accused of acting as middlemen in arranging such marriages. An amount of Rs 20,000 was recovered from their possession.


According to police sources, Shivani Kumari, a resident of the Bagh area under Akodhigola police station, was married to Nirmal Lal of Bhilwara. It was allegedly promised that the girl and her family would be paid money in return for the marriage. Initially, the family was assured that the bride would remain in Bihar with her husband. However, after the ceremony, attempts were allegedly made to forcibly take her to Rajasthan, which she resisted.

The incident surfaced when a police patrol team noticed a scuffle near Tenduni Chowk in Bikramganj. Officers saw a young woman being forcibly dragged. Upon intervention, the alleged trafficking angle emerged.

On the basis of a written complaint by Shivani, a case has been registered against six persons. So far, the groom, his father and the alleged middleman couple have been arrested. Efforts are under way to arrest the remaining accused.

Bikramganj SDPO Sindhu Shekhar Singh said the matter appears to be linked to human trafficking. He said poor girls in the region are allegedly being lured with promises of marriage to men from Rajasthan and Haryana, and there is suspicion that some cases may be connected to exploitation after marriage. Police are examining all aspects.

Police records show that in the past two years nearly two dozen similar cases have surfaced in different police station areas of Rohtas and Kaimur districts, allegedly linked to gangs operating from Rajasthan and Haryana. These cases are believed to be connected to gender imbalance and demand for brides in those states, with poor families targeted through inducements. The fresh Bikramganj case has once again brought suspected human trafficking into focus.