Mumbai: Two men who trafficked girls get three years behind bar

MUMBAI: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced two men to three years' imprisonment on charges of trafficking girls. It was the prosecution's case that the girls were taken to Gujarat on the pretext of getting them catering jobs, but they were subsequently sold to men for marriage.
Five others, accused of either selling or buying and forcibly marrying the survivors were acquitted. It was alleged that one of the accused had married a 17-year-old as female infanticide had led to the decline of female population in his village. Three survivors had deposed before the court and supported the prosecution's case. One of the survivors, who managed to flee, said the accused had forcibly married her and raped her. Another survivor said the accused had kept her for two weeks and raped her. The women were allegedly sold for Rs 85,000-Rs2 lakh.