Punjab: Human-trafficking gang busted in Ludhiana

LUDHIANA: The Shimlapuri police in Punjab's Ludhiana have busted a gang of human traffickers with the arrest of five persons, including four women, on Wednesday evening.
The gang was going to sell a woman to a Hisar-based man for Rs 60,000. The officials said that the ring was known as 'Tanka gang'.
The accused have been identified as Gurmeet Kaur, 42, Jaswinder Kaur, 40, Asha Rani, 43, of village Badso in Patiala district, and Rani, 45, and her husband, 47, Pala of Hisar, Haryana.
All the accused were living in a rented accommodation in Shimlapuri recently. According to officials, two more gang members -- Sonia and Bala -- managed to escape. A case has been registered against the accused under sections 370 (Trafficking of persons) and 34 (Act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC.
Assistant commissioner of police (Industrial area-B) Sandeep Wadehra said, "The gang used to loot people in two ways. They used to approach truck drivers, who easily don't get married. They used to offer them marriage proposals. However, they used to get Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 from them. Every time they would send pictures of their accomplices Sonia and Bala to customers to fix the deal. They never organised any proper marriage and used to get an affidavit signed by both groom and bride."
"The brides would escape after collecting cash and jewelry. Thereafter, the gang would change their contacts and address," added the official.
Wadehra added, in some cases they used to sell married women. It is an inter-state gang which had shifted to Ludhiana a couple of months ago. It was their first case in Ludhiana. The police have approached Ludhiana and Patiala police to know the previous cases against arrested accused.
This time the gang got a deal through Gurmeet Kaur who hails from Hisar. They sent picture of Bala to the client, who is a truck driver in Hisar. He agreed to marry Bala and on Tuesday, he along with his family and relatives reached the city to solemnise the marriage with Bala. Meanwhile, police came to know about it and just before the raid Bala and Sonia escaped form the spot. Therefore, the gang forced another woman to marry the Hisar-based man. However, the police team managed to arrest them.