Rajkot: An 18-year-old tribal girl from Dang on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Ghogha Road police station in Bhavnagar alleging that she was first sold by her maternal uncle when she was 15 years old and subsequently she was sold multiple times and raped on several occasions by the persons who bought her over the last three years.Police has booked seven persons including five men, a woman and the girl’s maternal uncle for rape, human trafficking, aiding rape and wrongful confinement.According to police, the incident came to light when one of the accused Harshad Bhabhar of Reliya village in Bhavnagar, who had allegedly paid Rs 50,000 for the girl, abandoned her in Bhavnagar city on Monday. The girl was found by social worker of a local NGO Subhag Nahila Utkarsh Trust. There, the girl shared her ordeal with the trustees, following which they approached the Bhavnagar SP P L Mal.“Since the crime has been committed at various locations over a period of time, we decided to lodge a complaint with Ghogha police station and have handed over the investigation to DySP A M Sayyed,” said Mal.According to the police FIR, the girl from Bhinsiya village of Ahwa taluka in Dang was sold for an unknown amount by her maternal uncle Mohaniya of Gaigofda village of Ahwa in 2015 to Bhavesh Ladhwa of Pithalpur village of Talaja taluka of Bhavnagar. Ladhwa had bought the girl for labour work in his farm. The girl’s parents had ended life by consuming poison.During her stay in Pithalpur village, the girl stated, she was raped several times by Ladhwa for over one month. After that. Ladhwa allegedly sold her to Mahesh Koli of Mangela village in Datha taluka of Bhavnagar for Rs 15,000.Koli too allegedly raped her on number of occasions and later sold her to Sukhdev Jogi also from Mangela village for an unknown amount.Jogi took the girl to Surat and other places where he allegedly raped her before selling her off to Himmat Makwana of Solvadra village near Bhavnagar city for Rs 25,000.Makwana made the girl do labour work in his farm and he too raped her number of times and then sent her back to Ladhwa. Five months ago, Ladhwa sold the girl again to Harshad Bhabhar of Reliya village for Rs 50,000.DySP AM Sayyed said that they have booked Ladhwa, Koli, Jogi, Makwana and Bhabhar for rape and under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA). He said that the girl’s uncle Mohaniya was also booked under ITPA. “Ladhwa’s wife Kamuben was booked for aiding rape and wrongful confinement,” Sayyed added.None of the accused have been arrested so far.

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