Woman held captive for one year rescued

A 21-year-old Ludhiana based woman, who was allegedly forced into prostitution and spent over a year into captivity, was on Sunday rescued by the police here.

Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab): A 21-year-old Ludhiana based woman, who was allegedly forced into prostitution and spent over a year into captivity, was on Sunday rescued by the police here.
The police have booked a man and two other members of his family.

The woman was held hostage in a rented accommodation in Kacha Dalip Nagar area of Mandi Gobindgarh allegedly by one Sahjad Khan and his family members, police said.

Neighbours of the woman approached police after suspecting some foul play, as main gate of the house was kept permanently locked, however, the woman lived inside, police said.

After that, the police raided the house and rescued the woman after breaking the lock.

The woman told the police that she met the youth Sahjad, who hailed from Malerkotla town of Sangrur district of Punjab, during a train journey around 15 months ago.

They developed close relations and Sahjad promised the woman that he would marry her and took her to his house.

However, Sahjad and his family members forced her into prostitution, the woman alleged.

She accused Sahjad, his brother Salman Khan and mother Parveen of physical and mental torture, police said.

The woman also claimed that some police officers visited the house in Mandi Gobindgarh.

On the statement of the woman, police have registered a case against both the brothers and their mother.

The woman told the police that she was kept locked into the house and was not allowed to speak to anyone.

Fatehgarh Sahib SSP H S Mann said on the statement of the girl, the police has registered a case under various sections of Immoral Trafficking Act.

He said the police will not spare any guilty in this case whosoever he is.

Mandi Gobindgarh SHO Dalbir Singh Grewal said the police have taken the girl to Civil Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh yesterday night but due to absence of concerned doctor, the medical examination of the woman was later conducted at Civil Hospital, Amloh.

The SHO said the youth was already married and the woman also told the police that she was earlier married to a youth of a village near Jalandhar but later they had divorce.

He said the police is conducting raids to arrest all the accused. Amloh DSP is investigating the case.

Punjab Woman Commission newly appointed chairperson Paramjit Kaur Landran has said the police should immediate arrest all the accused.

PTI

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