Mumbai, Aug 15 (Mid-day): The police have arrested a man involved in kidnapping his 22-year-old girlfriend and selling her in Rajasthan for Rs 2 lakh. She was kidnapped in July, after being lured with the promise of marriage. After she returned and narrated the ordeal, a case of kidnapping, rape and cheating was registered on Friday.

On July 11, police said she was called to Jhulelal Mandir by Anil Yerkar, with whom she was in a relationship. Yerkar took her to Jalna after promising marriage. “She was kept at Jalna at the residence of Baban Pawar and his wife along with their friend Nivruti Raut. She was threatened by them,” said an official from Ulhasnagar police station.

She further claimed that Baban Pawar, along with his wife and Nivruti, then met a woman, Babita. “With the help of Babita she was sold to a Rajasthani, Shailesh Panchal, for R2 lakh. Panchal then married her and constantly raped her for a month,” added the official.

A missing complaint was registered by the girl’s mother and police found that Yerkar too was missing. “We started questioning his parents and friends. He came to know that we had leads and are searching for him. He got the woman released from Rajasthan and brought her to Panvel. He asked Nirvuti Raut to drop her at her residence on Thursday night,” said a police official.

The Ulhasnagar police registered a case on Friday. “Raut came to drop her. We found that he was involved in the sale process. We have arrested him under relevant sections of the IPC. Teams have been formed to trace the other people involved,” said Shakeel Shaikh, Senior PI, Ulhasnagar police station.