Mumbai: Kidnapped as a new-born, 16-yr-old girl rescued from prostitution

The arrested accused from Mira Road Kiran Tarachand Raj

A 16-year-old, who was taken away from her parents by kidnappers when she was 15-days-old and held hostage since then, being prepared for prostitution, has been rescued by Thane police's anti-human trafficking cell. Officers said the woman who kidnapped and raised her was planning to sell her as a virgin.

The Thane police were put on her trail after they busted a prostitution racket in Mira Road early this month and one of the arrested told them about the victim.

Also read: Bangladeshi woman sold for Rs 1 lakh in Palghar; 2 held

Of tip-offs and raids
The cell last week carried out another raid in Mira Road and arrested 44-year-old Kiran Tarachand Raj. Raj and her elder sister, who is dead, had kidnapped the victim from Malwani's Anuradha Nursing Home in 2001, with the help of a maid there when the girl was 15 days old. Raj had raised her and had been preparing to push her into flesh trade.

The police found out about Raj and the victim early this month. On September 3, they had received a tip-off from a Delhi-based NGO that two minors had been pushed into prostitution. They had raided a building in Mira Road and rescued the two. Of the five arrested during that raid, one woman turned out to be related to Raj and spilled the beans on her and the girl, said an officer.

Also read: Police arrests four people for pushing 14-year-old into flesh trade

Search on for parents
Superintendent of Police (Thane district) Dr Mahesh Patil said, "Neither was any case of (minor) kidnapping lodged in Malwani police station then, nor anytime over all these years with respect to this girl. We are searching for her parents; if anybody has any information in this case, they should contact the anti-human trafficking cell."

In custody
"We have arrested the woman under sections 363 (kidnapping), 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine person), 370(1) (exploitation of a trafficked person), 372 (selling minor for prostitution), 373 (buying minor for prostitution) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code along with relevant sections of the Child Protection Act. The accused is in police custody, and officers are searching for her accomplices," he added.

Also read: Shocking! Mother, Stepfather apprehended for forcing minor daughter into prostitution

2001
The year in which the teenager was kidnapped from a nursing home in Malwani

15
Number of days after being born the victim was taken away by the accused

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