Mumbai, February 22: A woman who was lured on the pretext of police job in Rajasthan and sold as bride their has been rescued by the Arnala police. Cops have arrested Barmer resident Chetan Bharti, 32, who paid Rs 2 lakh to marry the woman, who was trapped on Instagram by the mastermind, truck driver Dinesh Puri.

MidDay reported that Puri trapped the woman who lived with her daughter and parents in Virar and worked in a Mira Road hospital in November and asked her to reach Aurangabad for "police training" after which he sent her to Rajasthan. West Bengal Shocker: Woman Sold Off to Delhi's GB Road, Raped Every Night, Saved and Reunited With Her Child in Kolkata.

Elated at the prospect of a police job, the woman left for Aurangabad on January 12, from where Puri then told her to board a train to Rajasthan and get off at Bhinmal station. The accused Chetan Bharti and two others received her at the station and took her to Balotra village in Barmer. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Minor Girl Sold Off By Lover, ‘Auctioned’ and Gang Raped in Agra; Seven Arrested.

The women grew suspicious when Bharti asked the woman to get dressed in Rajasthani attire. But by then, Bharti had taken away her cell phone, so she had no way out, an officer said. She was forced to sign marriage papers on January 16.

Five days later, she managed to lay her hands on a cell phone and called her sister and told her that she was trapped in Rajasthan and cut the call.

The parents had already registered a missing complaint at the Arnala police. A team led by Karpe and comprising API Arjun Pawar, ASI Janardan Mate and police constable Rahul Kadam was sent to Rajasthan. By then, the woman had managed to escape from the clutches of the Bharti family and called her sister, who relayed her location to the police.

However, before cops could reach her, Bharti and his friends tracked her down. She was taken back to the house and locked up again. However, On January 28, with the help of their local counterparts, the police team raided Bharti’ s house and rescued the woman.

Further investigation into the incident is underway and police are looking for all the accused involved in the crime.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 22, 2023 12:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).