Woman tries to sell off daughter for Rs 5 lakh; arrested

A 32-year-old woman from neighbouring Mumbai was arrested here after she allegedly tried to sell her teenage daughter for sex trade, police said today.

The accused, who hails from Govandi, had come down to Thane to trade her 16-year-old daughter for Rs 5 lakh to fund the marriage of her sister's daughter, a release issued by Thane police said.

However, she was caught by officials of the Anti-Human Trafficking cell when she was about to strike a deal at a hotel here.

According to preliminary reports, the woman allegedly runs a sex racket and has three daughters from three marriages. The victim, the woman's daughter from the first marriage, was allegedly pushed into flesh trade two years ago by her mother.

Sr PI Ravindra Daundkar of Thane police told PTI that police had received a tip off that the woman was in search of a buyer for the girl after which they arranged a decoy and called the accused to the hotel to strike a deal.

At the hotel, the woman demanded a sum of Rs 5 lakh. After due negotiations the deal was finalised for Rs 4.25 lakh and it was decided that an advance of Rs 50,000 be handed to her.

As soon as she received the cash, she was placed under arrest. A case under sections 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave), 372 (selling minor for purposes of prostitution), 366(a) (selling minor for purposes of prostitution) of the IPC and also sections 4 and 5 of the PITA Act was registered against her with the Wagle Estate police station.