HIV-positive man held for sexually exploiting 7 Gujarat girls

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A 17-year-old girl who went missing from a March 22, 2024, wedding function in Shahibaug, Gujarat, has been found after a long, multi-state search.

According to a Times of India report, the police arrested an HIV-positive man who allegedly sexually exploited her while moving her across multiple locations.

The girl's father had reported her missing to the police and later filed a petition in the Gujarat high court as well. After initial investigations, the case was handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU).

AHTU followed leads across several states and found that the girl was being moved from place to place, including Bareja, Surat, Aurangabad, Beed, Hyderabad, Nagpur, and Bilaspur. Finally, they located her from a locked room in the Kotma locality of Madhya Pradesh's Bijori town.

Police say the man kept the girl in locked rooms and restricted her food. His mother and brother allegedly helped him in hiding the girl. An advocate is also alleged to have advised the accused.

The accused is also suspected of sexually exploiting six other girls. All seven girls will receive medical attention and counselling. Tests will be conducted to determine if they have been infected with HIV.

The arrested man is now in police custody in Shahibaug, where the original missing person report was filed.