Father-Son Duo Accused Of Raping Woman And Trying To Sell Victim For $800

A man and his son have been accused of raping and human trafficking in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The duo tried to sell the already married woman to a man who intended to buy a bride. Before the man could marry the rape victim, police rescued the woman. The two accused are yet to be arrested.

The two accused have been identified by their names. The father has been identified as Ramesh while the son has been identified as Ravi.

According to Sudhesh Tiwari, the Senior House Officer at Ratibad, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, the woman had been looking for a job. The 27-year-old’s husband had been jailed for committing a crime, India Today reported. While job-hunting the woman came in contact with Ravi in the Chhola area of Bhopal city.

Ravi told the woman that he would help her get employment. Luring the woman with the promise of a job, the man took her to a rented flat. Ravi and Ramesh gang-raped the woman and held her captive for months.

Having raped the woman multiple times, the duo further hatched a plot to get rid of their victim. With the help of a relative, identified by Times of India as Lokesh, the men decided to sell the woman to a man looking to purchase a bride.

38-year-old Sarman Prajapati from Vidihsa city, Madhya Pradesh agreed to pay Rs. 60,000 ($805) to marry the victim. It is unclear if he knew that the woman was already married. He reportedly paid Rs. 6,000 ($80) to the woman’s captors at an engagement ceremony. The forced wedding was supposed to take place on July 12.

Lastly reported that Prajapati went to a marriage bureau in Ratibad, Bhopal. The officials at the bureau got suspicious and ended up informing the police.

On the day of the wedding, the police conducted a raid. They managed to rescue the victim, however, Ravi and Ramesh escaped from the spot. Police have launched an investigation into the incident. Based on the complaint of the victim, the police have filed a first incident report (FIR) against the two accused. Police are also questioning those involved in the plot to get the woman married to Prajapati.

The investigation remains ongoing.