A 31-year-old man from Kutch, Gujarat, has been arrested by the Mankhurd police in Mumbai for allegedly marrying a 13-year-old girl against her will and subjecting her to repeated sexual assault and child labour, an official said on Saturday.

Four others, including the man who trafficked the girl, have been booked by the police, he said.

According to the police officials, the prime accused, Chimanbhai Khetabhai Thakur, who claims to be the victim’s husband, was arrested in connection with the case. Thakur reportedly met the girl through one of the other accused, Pankaj Prajapati.

“Pankaj acted as a middleman. Two years ago, he convinced the victim’s family that there were ample job opportunities in Gujarat and took the girl on the pretext that she could earn well. While she performed labour work, she was never given her earnings; Pankaj kept all the money,” a police official said.

The minor lived with her parents in Mankhurd in eastern suburbs of Mumbai, who had no idea what she was enduring in Gujarat. They were under the impression that she was performing labour work, as Pankaj had promised.

The victim told the police that the work she was doing was being done against her will.

The girl was allegedly sold for a mere Rs 40,000 to Thakur who then forced the girl into marrying him.

After the marriage, Thakur allegedly confined the girl in his house and raped her every day.

On August 25, the girl managed to return to her parents’ home in Mankhurd. The next day, Thakur followed her there and tried to force her to return to Gujarat despite her refusal. When the family learnt of the ordeal, they confronted him, but he allegedly threatened to kill the girl. The family then approached the police and registered a case.

By the time the FIR was registered, Thakur fled the scene.

A special team was formed that travelled to Gujarat where Thakur resided.

“He lived in Majadwadi, Adhoi, a small locality situated in Bhachau taluka of Gujarat’s Kutch district. Our team went there and he was arrested on August 29. He was then brought to Mumbai and presented in court. Court has remanded him to police custody for four days,” an official added.

Four others have also been booked by the police – Pankaj and Rekha Prajapati, Khetabhai Rancheda, and Binaben Khetabhai.

Khetabhai Rancheda and Binaben Khetabhai have been booked for aiding the child marriage, as they witnessed it despite knowing the girl was a minor. Pankaj and Rekha Prajapati are accused of allegedly trafficking the girl from Mumbai to Gujarat under the pretext of employment and then handing her over to the main accused in exchange of money.

All the accused are booked for trafficking, criminal intimidation, unlawful confinement, sexual assault, sexual harassment of a minor, marrying a minor, promoting the marriage of a minor, etc, under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, POCSO Act and Prohibition of Child Marraige Act.

The girl was sent for medical examination to Rajawadi hospital and she is currently under doctors observation, police said.

This article first appeared on Mid Day