13-year-old girl held captive for 16 days, sexually abused; live-in-couple held

Sriganganagar police arrested a live-in couple who have been accused of holding a 13-year-old girl captive in their home for the past 16 days and subjecting her to sexual abuse. The police have registered a case under Sections of the BNS and POCSO.

The police said that 45-year-old Sonu Valmiki of Sriganganagar and her 40-year-old live-in partner Manjeet Sharma, from Ferozepur, have been arrested. Sonu had left her husband and lived in the house with Manjeet and two children. She served as safai sevika in an institution, while Manjeet got a job as a driver there.

According to police, on September 26, a 35-year-old woman of Bihar origin filed a complaint, accusing Sonu and three unidentified men of holding her 13-year-old younger sister captive and sexually assaulting her. The woman herself works as a domestic help and met Sonu during that time. Sonu reportedly asked the woman to send her younger sister to her house for training in sewing and embroidery. She began sending her younger sister to Sonu's house on September 1.

It is alleged that on September 9, Sonu mixed something in a drink and gave it to the girl, causing her to faint. When the girl regained consciousness, she found herself naked. Sonu threatened her, telling her not to panic. Sonu and her accomplice told her that she had been molested and that a video recording had been made. Following this incident, Sonu and the unknown man severely intimidated the girl and held her hostage in the house.

The woman from Bihar told the police that when her younger sister did not return home for several days, she went to Sonu's house with her mother on September 25. Sonu tried to evade the girl's concerns. Then, they heard the girl's voice from a locked room. When the room was opened, the girl was found in a very bad condition.

The victim's elder sister and her mother immediately took the girl to the government hospital, where her condition improved after treatment. The victim then revealed that Sonu and Manjeet had held her captive, and that three different men had forced sexual assaulted her. 

Following an investigation, Manjeet was arrested late last night and Sonu was arrested today. The investigation is being done by Additional Superintendent of Police Rameshwar Lal. Police say the other accused will be arrested soon.