Indian man accused of marrying and selling 60 women

A man suspected of tricking at least 60 women into marrying him before selling them into prostitution has been charged by police in India. The 27-year-old apparently charmed his victims over a five-year period by pretending to be a well-paid soldier in the military.

The suspect was detained in Darjeeling, a tea-growing district of the eastern state of West Bengal, and has been charged with several offences, including human trafficking. Police claimed the man, named as Vikky Biswarkarma, had married the girls and then sold them to brothels in the cities of Mumbai and Pune for 70,000-100,000 rupees (£973-£1,390).



At least nine of his alleged victims have been traced. District police chief Debendra Prasad Singh said: "He used to pose as an army man who had come home on holiday and wanted to get married before returning to work.

"He used to change bases frequently to lure girls from poor families in tea gardens and villages." Police were tipped off about Biswarkarma's alleged crimes by a non-government organisation in Darjeeling, a popular mountainous resort known for its tea plantations.