Human Trafficking Ring Busted: Meghalaya Girl Sold for Rs 3 Lakh, Three Arrested

PTI, October 28, 2025, Shillong : A human trafficking racket spanning multiple states has been dismantled with the arrest of three individuals, including a woman, in connection with the sale of a young girl from Meghalaya for Rs 3 lakh and her forced marriage in Rajasthan earlier this year, police reported on Tuesday.

The arrests are part of a wider trafficking network believed to be responsible for selling at least six girls—five from Assam’s Boko area and one from Tripura—over the past two years. Authorities also suspect several other young women from the Northeast have met a similar fate, raising concerns about a trafficking gang operating across Assam, Meghalaya, and Rajasthan.

The case was initiated following a missing person complaint filed on June 11 at the Nongpoh Women Police Station in Ri Bhoi district, reporting that a girl from Byrnihat had gone missing. A case was subsequently registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the missing girl had been trafficked to Rajasthan, where she managed to escape captivity. With assistance from Rajasthan Police, she was rescued and returned to Meghalaya.

The victim told police she had befriended a man from Assam on Facebook, who promised to marry her and convinced her to travel to Delhi and Rajasthan. Once there, she was allegedly sold to another man for Rs 3 lakh and forced into marriage, said Ri-Bhoi district SP Vivekanand Singh.

Following coordination with police units across several states, the investigation led to the identification and arrest of the suspects.

The prime accused, Rajesh Hinge (31), a resident of Kumarghat in North Tripura, was arrested in Guwahati on October 19. Based on his statement, Md Khalil Ali (31) of Boko in Assam’s Kamrup (Rural) district was arrested two days later from Jhalukbari. Further leads pointed to the alleged kingpin, Monika, from Rajasthan, who was apprehended at Kamakhya Railway Station on October 26.

Police said all three suspects are currently being interrogated, and further arrests are expected as the investigation continues.

Preliminary findings suggest that traffickers use social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, to befriend young women, gain their trust through extended online communication, and then lure them to travel outside their home states with false promises of marriage or employment. Once they arrive, the victims are sold to buyers.

Authorities have warned that this modus operandi is increasingly being used to exploit vulnerable individuals, particularly young women from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds in the Northeast.

"Children and youth must remain vigilant and immediately inform their parents or authorities if approached online by strangers offering marriage, jobs, or travel opportunities," the SP urged.

Additionally, authorities have warned that the same tactics are also frequently used in cybercrimes like blackmail, UPI fraud, and extortion. Users are advised not to click on suspicious links or install unknown applications that may compromise their devices and personal data.

Police are continuing efforts to trace other victims connected to the network and are coordinating with law enforcement agencies in Assam, Tripura, and Rajasthan to completely dismantle the trafficking ring.