Hyderabad police arrests father of a 16-year-old girl sold to Omani Sheikh

Hyderabad police arrested father of the 16-year old girl, who was forced to marry a Omani Sheikh, a day after  Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi requested External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for her rescue.

The police arrested the girl’s father and two other people from old Hyderabad city for forcibly marrying the girl off to a 65-year old Oman national in June.

Police said the girl’s father Syed Anwar along with his Ghousia and her husband Sikandar had sold the girl to Oman national with help of two brokers identified as Ahmed and Haji. 

Police in its investigation found that the minor girl’s father had forged documents to prove the victim to be an adult to procure a passport and a visa. 

Hyderabad deputy commissioner of police (south) V Satyanarayana talking to the media said, “We are hopeful to bring the girl back soon.”

He added that Anwar and Ahmed are being questioned. 

A police officer not willing to be identified said, “The qazi who performed the marriage could not be questioned.”

Police have registered a case of criminal intimidation against the Omani sheikh, the girl’s father, qazi and others. 

Earlier this week the girl’s mother had lodged a complaint with the Falaknuma police station against her husband, sister-in-law, brother-in-law and others for ‘selling’ her girl to an Omani Sheikh.

The mother of the victim learnt about the girl being sold off to the Omani Sheikh after she called from Muscat and detailed her ordeal.