Maulvi (Muslim cleric) Ashfaq had been arrested along with four girls whom he intended to transport to Nepal for trafficking to make a profit of more than ₹5 lakh from this transaction. He has even admitted to rape one of them. He is from Motihari town in the East Champaran district of Bihar.
Now, alarming details have been uncovered following Ashfaq’s interrogation including a plot that involved around trapping minor girls into romantic relationships and then taking them to Nepal. However, the victims were rescued within 36 hours due to the swift actions of the Bihar Police.
They were shocked to learn that Ashfaq, their teacher, would exploit them in such a manner. He is presently in police custody and has revealed the details of his entire operation and the trafficking network that functions in Nepal. The accused mentioned that he was studying to become a Maulvi in 2022. He went to Nepal at that time where he encountered an Indian man at a hotel. During their discussion, the latter inquired about his profession.
Ashfaq informed him that he was undergoing training to become a Maulvi and planned to work at a madrasa after completing his studies. The man then remarked that madrasas are frequented by underage girls and Ashfaq could potentially earn a substantial income by bringing them to his hotel in Nepal.
The cleric reported that the individual presented a pricing list for underage girls: ₹1.5 lakh for those between the ages of 12 and 16 and ₹1 lakh for younger girls. He was promised immediate cash payment upon delivering these targets. Afterwards, the man noted Ashfaq’s contact information.
With that person’s words in mind, Ashfaq completed his education and became a Maulvi at a madrasa located in a village within the Shikarganj police station area. He proceeded to execute his plan and accepted that he was thrilled due to the large number of minor girls there. He recounted his multiple unsuccessful attempts to entice them. Afterwards, he began to focus on one particular student of Class 10 and told her several stories as she fell into his romantic web.
Ashfaq engaged in daily phone conversations with her, earning her trust by sharing various aspects of his life. He influenced the girl to such an extent that she began to voice her opposition to her family and only listened to him. He applied similar methods with her friend too. He subsequently moved on to the next phase of his plan: transporting the girls to Nepal.
On 3rd June (Wenesday), he called the two girls to meet him under the guise of taking them on an outing. They were accompanied by two other sisters, and he escorted all of them to Motihari.
The perpetrator left the four girls at a hotel and returned to the village to prevent any suspicion, although he maintained constant contact with them over phone. The next day, he joined them and took them to the Nepal-India border, where he rented two rooms. He stayed in one room with one of the girls, while the other three were placed in another room. Ashfaq confessed to raping the minor girl.
Ashfaq was on the verge of transporting the girls across the border when the police intercepted them. Their families had lodged missing person reports after which the action commenced. He was nabbed after a tip-off and analysis of technical evidence in Karsahiya village, located within the jurisdiction of the Dhaka police station. The information he provided led to the rescue of the girls. Additionally, a mobile phone that belonged to one of them was retrieved from the residence of the offender.
