Mumbai: After ‘wedding scene’ was wrapped, he said I was bought for Rs 3L

The police team with the 21-year-old Dharavi resident who was rescued

I was told that we were shooting a marriage scene for a serial, and I happily played the blushing dulhan. But after a few hours, the person I believed to be my on-screen husband told me that the ceremony was real and I had been sold to him for Rs 3 lakh," a 21-year-old woman from Dharavi told mid-day recently.

On January 17, mid-day reported about the Dharavi police arresting 35-year-old Karan Gangabhoir and his partner Aisha two days prior for running a racket in which young women were married off to the residents of Karnakhedi village on the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border. The police had stated that the accused were made to believe that they were auditioning for roles in serials and were asked to stay in character while the marriage ceremonies were being solemnised in the hamlet.

The accused Karan Gangabhoir; Gangabhoir's live-in partner Aisha

The 21-year-old woman told mid-day, "I met Karan for the first time at an event in Mahim some months ago. He asked me how much I money was making. When I replied, he said that he had a better deal for me. He suggested that I should start playing bit roles to make a living. I initially rejected the idea. "Initially I had rejected the idea of acting in a serial, but Aisha and he kept calling me and they convinced me that I should try my luck in the industry as I would earn a lot of money." said the victim.

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"Once I was convinced, Karan did not hesitate a second before telling me I would earn Rs 20,000 if I played a happy bride. He said that we would return in two days after the shooting was wrapped up." the victim added.

‘Leave phone behind'

According to the victim, she was told to get one suitcase with "basic clothes" and an identity card but to leave her phone at home. "Some days before we decided to go to Rajasthan, Karan told me not to bring my phone as there was no network in the village," she said.

"Before going to Rajasthan, I had some concerns with Aisha. She said, ‘Mujhe bhi ek beti hai. Mai bhi ek aurat hu. Mai kaise tumhare sath kuch galat hone dungi? [I am also a daughter. I am also a woman. How can I allow anything to happen to you?]' Both Karan and Aisha dismissed my apprehensions, saying, ‘Tension mat lo, sab theek hoga, tum bhaut paisa kamaogi [Don't be tense. Everything will be okay. You will make a killing]," she recalled.

The victim said they had decided that all three would go to Rajasthan but Aisha backed out stating that she had health issues. "I then said I would not go with Karan alone. Aisha replied that it was a lifetime opportunity. They then forged my documents and gave me an alias." said the victim. According to the victim, she was taken to Karnakhedi where she had met two strangers who introduced her to her "husband".

"Karan and I reached the village via train. We stayed in a hotel and some unknown people introduced me to my on-screen husband. On the day of the ‘shoot', the mandap was decked up, I wore a saree and all rituals were done. After the ceremony, Karan vanished. I was taken to my husband's residence. He told me that he had bought me for R3 lakh from Karan. I was devastated and scared. I told him that I was unaware of the deal and I had not consented to marriage. The husband then called Karan and said that the deal was cancelled and asked him to take me back," said the woman.

At this point, the 21-year-old started to plan her escape. "As soon as my husband told me that the marriage was real, his relatives became strict. They always said, ‘Gunghat odh ke rakho' and did not let me go outside. I was forced to wear a saree every day. Once I tried to jump off from the terrace but I was unsuccessful. I used to cry in the bathroom."

She added that the family would mock her saying, ‘Tum yaha se kahi bhag ke ja nahi sakti. Yahase station ya bus stand bohot dhur hai [You cannot run away from here. There is no railway station or bus stand nearby].

"I was feeling helpless. I did not know what to do. My phone was at my residence. But I remembered my friend's number and informed him that I had been married off for real. He then informed the police and I was rescued. A team from Dharavi police station and my friend had reached the village and I was saved. I am thankful to the police for rescuing me. I feel like I am living a second life now," the woman added.

"It's almost been a year since the incident took place. I still get shivers while thinking about it. I have been having nightmares. I cannot trust anyone. I do not receive calls from unknown numbers. My confidence is shattered and I am learning to live with this incident as now I cannot change the past," she added.

Friend to the rescue

The victim's friend said, "After I received a call from her, we approached the police station and arranged for a private car. The village was not accessible; it was probably located in the middle of the jungle and we faced a lot of difficulties reaching the spot." The police suspect that the duo had lured many other women with the same modus operandi and the Dharavi police are yet to arrest one more person who is involved in the racket.