Man sells 2 minor daughters twice in marriage

AHMEDABAD: Two minor girls - 12 and 14 years of age - have fallen victim to the greed of their own father. Their mother was recovering in a government hospital after treatment for multiple injuries sustained in a wall collapse. It was then that the father of the girls, in connivance with a marriage agent, sold off his minor daughters twice, in marriage for some quick money.
This shocking fact came to light after their mother, Sharda Vasava, filed a complaint with the Detroj police in Ahmedabad district alleging that her husband, Ramesh Vasava, in connivance with one Kanuji Thakore, had sold her two minor daughters twice in marriage within six months.
Police have arrested six of the eight accused, including Thakore, but the father is absconding.
The girls, who are class 5 and class 4 pass, respectively, recounted what they had to endure because of their father's greed.
"After mother was admitted in the hospital, father took us to our elder sister's village, Suraj, in Mehsana district. There they sold us to boys of Thakore families. I was asked to exchange garland with a boy," the older of the two girls said.
Their mother has alleged in the FIR that Ramesh and Thakore took R 40,000 each from both the grooms. The girls were later asked to return from their 'in-laws' place. On December 15, Ramesh and Thakore again sold the older daughter for Rs 80,000 to another Thakore boy who was not able to find himself a bride. The younger girl was sold off on December 25 (her birthday) also for Rs 80,000, says the FIR.
When the mother got to know about their sale, she contacted the NGO, Navsarjan, which helped file a police complaint in the case. Six of the accused, including those who had helped in this illegal child-marriage, have been arrested.
"Cases of exploitation of girl children who are sold and resold for marriage in communities which find it difficult to get brides, are on the rise. We have decided to enroll the two girls in school after a few months so that they can leave behind their traumatic experience," said Manjula Pradeep of Navsarjan.