A 13-year-old girl, who was sold off by her father and stepmother to a thrice-married 40-year-old man for Rs. 2 lakh, was rescued from Gudipala mandal in the district, in a joint operation conducted by the Bangarupalem police and the Rural Organisation for Poverty Eradication Services (ROPES), here on Sunday.
According to the police, the victim’s father Jayachandra, a farm labourer from Nallangadu village in Bangarupalem mandal got married to one Sumathi a few years ago, after his first wife had deserted him.
Since then Sumathi had been harassing the girl and even forced her to quit school and take up menial jobs.
Two months ago, Jayachandra and Sumathi struck a deal with one Krishnamurthy (40), a farmer from Gudipala mandal near Chittoor, and sold the girl to him for Rs. 2 lakh.
The girl was handed over to Krishnamurthy on May 31 and he got married to her in a temple at Ratnagiri near Vellore in Tamil Nadu the same day. Police said Krishnamurthy, was married thrice in the past. His first wife had died, while the second one had deserted him. He was presently living with another woman, said to be his third wife.
Meanwhile, the prolonged absence of the girl, who was studying in class VIII, from the school made her classmates suspicious and the neighbours too started inquiring about her from Sumathi.
Sensing trouble, the neighbours alerted the police and the ROPES Childline, who rushed to Gudipala and rescued the girl. ROPES chairman K. Dhanasekhan said the girl would be handed over to the Children’s Home in Tirupati on Monday.
She would be produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and referred to a hospital for medical examination.
The Bangarupalem police said that a criminal case was registered against Krishnamurthy and steps would be taken to book cases against Jayachandra and Sumathi.