Child bride racket busted, 8 sheikhs arrested

HYDERABAD: An international child bride racket has been busted in Hyderabad with the arrest of 20 people. The crackdown on a group involving five Omani sheikhs, three Qataris and three qazis, who brokered illegal contracts with forged nikahnamas. A tip-off from a 16 year old girl led police authorities to four lodges in the city, which were later found to be major dens of human trafficking. An Omani sheikh who was about to wed a teenage girl was caught red-handed. Police said Mumbai-based qazi Farid Ahmed Khan was the kingpin of the operation and played an important role.