11-year-old girl sold for Rs 6.5 lakh in Rajasthan

An 11-year-old girl was "sold" for Rs.6.5 lakh by her mother in Rajasthan, police said Friday. Both the woman as well as the man who "bought" the girl have been arrested.

The mother, Raja Rani, a resident of Jhalawar town, 350 km from Jaipur, even signed a judicial stamp paper as if to legally authenticate the deal.

But police arrested both of them on charges of human trafficking Thursday. The "buyer" was identified as Tara Chand of Sop Basti area in Tonk district.

"It was stated in the stamp paper that he was paying Rs.2 lakh as the first instalment for the girl. The remaining amount was to be paid to the mother in February," said an officer.

He said the girl had been handed over to Tara Chand.

But she escaped from the man. As he chased her, the girl barged into a hotel and hid herself beneath a table.

"Some customers saw her and asked her why she was so scared. She told them that a man had bought her, was keeping her hostage and beating her up regularly," said the officer.