Hyderabad: Following the intervention of Union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi in the case of Oman national Ahmed marrying a teenager from the old city, the police has handed over the investigation to an ACP rank official. This is the first time the police has handed over investigation of a case relating to woman trafficking to an ACP. Falaknuma ACP Mohd Tajuddin Ahmed is now the investigation officer in the case.
Moreover, serious sections of IPC and other laws have also been invoked in the case. The police say they are seriously tackling women trafficking cases following instructions from DGP Anurag Sharma. “We are invoking all serious sections in such cases including the new rape act and buying women for slavery in all cases of women complaining about cheating after offering huge amounts. For minors, Pocso and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act are also being invoked,” said DCP, south, V. Satyanarayana.
In the recent case involving the ‘marriage’ of a 16-year-old-girl with a 65-year-old Omani, the police invoked Pocso, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, cheating, rape and other IPC sections. In another case of a Dubai national marrying a 30-year-old woman, the police invoked Section 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave) and Section 493 (Cohabitation by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage and to cohabit or have sexual intercourse with her) of IPC.
Mailardevpally inspector P. Jagaadeshwar said the complaint attracts the Sections and hence they had registered a case. “We are showing zero tolerance towards cases of women trafficking in the garb of marriage. A large part of our jurisdiction has poor migrants from other states and brokers are trying to exploit their poverty,” Mr Jagaadeshwar said.
Women activists said that the police earlier invoked only cheating clauses in cases of woman being cheated by foreign nationals while in cases of minor girls being married off the police registered cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act. “The police approach has changed in the last two cases reported this month. We appreciate it but at the same time we want the police to break the broker network in the city. Otherwise, they will go to adjoining districts and continue their trade,” said Jameela Nishath of the Shaheen Women Resource and Welfare Association.
