A Mohali court has rejected the regular bail application of Gayatri Sharma alias Sonia and co accused Raj Kumar in a serious child abduction and trafficking case, observing that their release at this stage could hamper the investigation and trial process.
The court noted that there was a strong possibility that the accused could abscond, influence witnesses or tamper with evidence if granted bail. It clarified that the observations made while rejecting the plea would not affect the merits of the case during trial.
The case pertains to December 2023, when Mohali police received secret information about an alleged child trafficking racket operating in the region. According to police, two women identified as Surinder Kaur and Darshana Rani were allegedly kidnapping children and selling them to force them into begging.
On December 12, 2023, a police team during routine patrolling near Balongi Bridge intercepted and arrested the two women along with a minor girl. During questioning, Darshana Rani disclosed that the child had been handed over to them by Gurvinder Kaur alias Gurleen Kaur.
Further investigation and the statement of Paramjit Singh led police to name Gayatri Sharma alias Sonia in the case. As per court records, Gayatri Sharma, around 45 years of age, wife of Pawan Sharma and a resident of Budh Vihar in New Delhi, allegedly sold the minor girl for Rs 3.60 lakh in connivance with Deepika alias Deepa, Raj Kumar and other associates.
Police have maintained that the accused were part of an organised gang involved in trafficking infants and minor children. A case was registered under Sections 370(4) for human trafficking, 363 for kidnapping, 363A for kidnapping children for begging and 120B for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code.
During the hearing, counsel appearing for the accused argued that the allegations were false and that the accused had already remained in custody for a considerable period, making further incarceration unnecessary.
Opposing the plea, Additional Public Prosecutor Harshdeep submitted before the court that the offence was grave in nature and serious allegations had emerged during investigation.
After hearing both sides, the court dismissed the bail plea, holding that considering the seriousness of the crime and the stage of proceedings, granting bail was not justified at present. The court reiterated that the accused’s release could adversely impact witnesses and evidence linked to the case.