HYDERABAD: A 61-year-old travel agency owner from Mumbai has been arrested in the city for trying to buy a 14-year-old girl for Rs 3 lakh from her family. The child's mother, grandmother and six others were also arrested on Sunday night from Balapur when the deal was being struck. Police were tipped off by locals.
Police said that accused Syed Althaf Ali had divorced his wife about six years ago and had been looking for someone to take care of him. Ali found the 14-year-old through auto driver Akeel Ahmed (34) from Balapur who was introduced to him by common friends.
Ahmed along with Zareena Begum, Shabana Begum, Shameen Sulthan, Nasreen Begum, Zahaid Bee, all from Balapur, in their first meeting had offered the mother and grandmother of the child Rs 5 lakh to send her with Ali. But the deal did not work out as Ali refused to pay more than Rs 3 lakh.
Recently, the girl's family ended up in financial problems as her uncle met with an accident. The mother then agreed to sell the girl for Rs 3 lakh, Balapur inspector B Bhaskar said, adding that the father had deserted the family long ago.
On Sunday, when Ali reached the house of Zareena Begum in Balapur to finalise the deal, police arrested them.
The accused were booked under IPC sections 370, 370 (A) r/w 511, Section 17 of Pocso Act and Section 3&5 of PITA.
