Schoolgirl alleges abduction for deceitful marriage

BHAGALPUR: In a dramatic turn of events, a 17-year-old schoolgirl on Friday stated that she was abducted, forced to embrace Islam and undergo deceitful marriage (nikaah) besides being sexually abused by her abductor Md Monty.
Just after her recovery, the girl gave her statement in the court under Section 164 CrPC that she had gone with the teenager on her own. Later, the victim sought fresh recording of her statement.
The victim, Babita (name changed) made her statement before the court of judicial magistrate, Shashi Bhushan Kumar, corroborating the accusations of her family about the ordeal she suffered at the hands of her tormentor for the last four months under Section 164 of CrPC.
Babita, a student of an English medium school in Bhagalpur and a resident of Dhuabai village under Sanokhar PS in Kahalgaon sub-division in Bhagalpur district, was reportedly kidnapped on April 30 by prime accused Monty along with his friends from Sanokhar.
Her mother lodged an FIR in connection with Babita’s abduction. She had also demanded that Monty’s father Md Sharif, mother Samina Khatoon, sister Shakina and uncle Md Munna be arrested for hatching a conspiracy to kidnap her daughter. Babita was finally recovered by the police on August 25. After her recovery, her ordeal came to light.
In her second statement, also on Friday, the victim narrated she was abducted, forced to convert to Islam for marriage (nikaah) and then sexually abused by Md. Monty. The victim said before the court she was under threat by her tormentor and his associates to give her ‘first’ statement, which is denied in her second statement, and that she corroborated the police investigation and FIR lodged by her mother.
Treating the matter to be of sensitive nature, the district police have constituted a special investigating team (SIT) to probe the matter. The SIT will investigate the whole issue in the light of the victim’s second statement besides the circumstances under which she was abducted, the places (Sanokhar, Sultanganj, Patna, New Delhi and other places) where she was taken to during the four-month period, Rs 2 lakh ransom demand for releasing the victim, allegations about forcing her to change her religion, sexual exploitation and arrest of the other accused.
Bhagalpur SSP Vivek Kumar said the prime accused, Monty, had been arrested and sent to remand home in view of his being a minor. The SSP adding SIT has initiated investigation to gather evidence besides conducting raids to arrest the other culprits.