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The Odisha Police have launched a comprehensive investigation into the harrowing ordeal of a minor tribal girl who was allegedly trafficked, sold twice, and repeatedly gang-raped for two years in Uttar Pradesh before managing a daring escape back home.
“A woman has filed a complaint alleging sexual assault in the Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh after a man from Odisha sold her there. We have initiated an investigation. The suspect who initially deceived her with the promise of a job is currently on the run,” said Jitendra Mallick, Inspector-in-Charge of the Kamakshyanagar police station.
According to the official complaint, the victim’s ordeal began two years ago in the Kankadahada area of Dhenkanal district, where she was living following her mother’s second marriage. A local man approached the girl, offering her employment in Bhubaneswar.
Instead of receiving a job, she and three other girls were transported to Uttar Pradesh and handed over to a man identified as Asish Yadav in the Jhansi district.
As per the victim, aged 17, she was confined to Asish Yadav’s home in Jhansi for three months, where she was repeatedly assaulted by both Asish and his father, Kalyan Yadav. “When I became pregnant as a result of the abuse, Asish’s mother, Urmila Yadav, arranged for a forced medical abortion,” she said.
Following the abortion, the girl was sold to Chandrapal Kushwah, located just 10 Kilometres away, at ₹50,000.
“The situation grew even worse,” the girl recounted. “I was forbidden from speaking to anyone outside. Chandrapal raped me first. Then, his family members, including his elder brother and two uncles, took turns raping me. This nightmare continued for two years,” she said.
The minor finally escaped one night with the assistance of a local advocate, making her way to the Jhansi district headquarters. However, her encounter with local law enforcement brought no immediate justice.
“The Jhansi police took my statement as I narrated what had happened. But instead of taking action against the perpetrators, they simply bought me a train ticket and put me on a train back to Odisha,” she said.
Upon arriving in Kamakshyanagar, she found the courage to approach local authorities. “We have recorded the statement of the girl, who detailed the horrific abuse she endured. It is deeply disturbing,” Inspector Mr. Mallick stated.
“The case might be the tip of an iceberg, as human trafficking operating between the States was rampant.” Madhur Yadav, a practising lawyer at the Allahabad High Court who assisted the girl in escaping her captors, warned that this is not an isolated incident. “This girl’s case is not an isolated one. Girls from Odisha and other vulnerable State are regularly traded across rural Jhansi,” Mr. Yadav revealed. The Odisha police are currently coordinating efforts to track down the primary suspect and bust the interstate trafficking ring.
Published – May 28, 2026 01:01 pm IST
