Kundapur: Man accused of luring girl says he rescued her from torture
Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur
Kundapur, Nov 22: Basheer, a resident of Balehannur who was accused of luring a girl into human trafficking, has claimed that the allegations levelled against him by the girl's family were baseless and that he has in fact rescued the girl from being tortured by her uncle and brother.
The family of Shilpa (name changed), aged 25 had alleged that Basheer had grown friendly with the girl and her mother who were staying by themselves and had taken advantage of their poverty and helplessness to lure the girl into human trafficking. The girl had disappeared on November 14, and had told the family over the phone that she had gone with Basheer on her own will. The family, however, claimed that Basheer had trapped her.
Basheer contacted daijiworld and clarified that he had not lured or kidnapped the girl and asserted that he has no connection at all with human trafficking network or any other illegal activity. "I knew the girl as we were family friends. Her uncle and her brother used to torture her and she had turned to me for help. Hence I rescued her," he claimed.
After the story appeared in daijiworld, Basheer brought back the girl to Kundapur police station and handed her over to another uncle of hers.
On the family's claim that he had initially introduced himself to the girl with false names, he said the allegation was false.
About the photograph which shows him and the girl together with her arm over his shoulders, Basheer claimed it was a family photograph which her relatives had cropped and released to the media.
He further said that he would not be pressing charges as it may jeopardize the girl's future.
Girl clarifies
Meanwhile, the girl denied allegations that she was lured into human trafficking and said that Basheer was like a father figure to her. Insisting that she had no affair with him, she said that she had only gone to his house in Balehannur to visit his wife and children who had earlier come to her house. She added that she had gone to his house with her family's permission.
"Somebody has tried to misguide the people. Basheer is like my brother, uncle or father; he is 50 and I am 25. He has brought his family and stayed with us many times," she said.
She also said that Basheer did not make any promises of helping her with a career in modeling or helping her mother financially.