Woman held for forcing 12-yr-old into prostitution

PUNE: The Lonikand police on Friday arrested Rupali alias Rupa Digga Birawat (45), a resident ofDaund, for her alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a 12-year-old speech-impaired girl and forcing her into prostitution. Birawat is the 11th suspect to be arrested in the case.

A magisterial court on Saturday sent Birawat to police custody till May 25. The girl's mother had registered a complaint with the Lonikand police on July 17, 2008. With Birawat's arrest, the police claim to have achieved a breakthrough in the case.

According to the complainant, in the early hours on July 17, she, her husband and children were in their hut in Mauje New Sandas Shivar in Haveli taluka, when eight persons on three motorbikes and a jeep came to their house and assaulted the family and took away her elder daughter.

The police arrested five persons on the same day from Sangvi Sandas village. They were Gulab Tanaji Dhule (24), Datta Tanaji Dhule (26), Satish Navnath Vitekar (19), Bapu Sahebrao Gaikwad (26) and Ashok Vithhal.

After keeping them in custody for five days, police released them for to want of evidence, as per section 169 of Code of Criminal Procedures.

On May 7 this year, Poonam Chavan (30) and Rabita Uchiya (25), both residents of Ganga Jamuna in Nagpur, were taken into custody from Nagpur Central jail. Both of them hail from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

On May 10, Godavari Karmavat (23) of Shikrapur was arrested. All of them are in judicial custody. On May 17, Kisandevi alias Kissobai Bharatsingh Chhadi (40) and her mother Sheela Bharatsingh Chhadi (70), both residents of Ganga Jamuna in Nagpur, were taken into custody from Nagpur central jail. They are in police custody till May 23.

Sub inspector Deepak Gondhali of the Lonikand police station said according to Kisobai and Birawat, the girl was sold in Gwalior for prostitution. Kisobai told us that she had "bought" the girl three years ago by paying Rs 1.5 lakh to her parents.

Police had later rescued the girl and arrested Kisobai's sister in Nagpur. But, they took the custody of the girl after filling an application in court." TOI