Tamil Nadu: Minor girls pushed into flesh trade rescued, culprit escapes

Minor girls pushed into flesh trade rescued, culprit escapesTwo minor girls who were promised shelter and jobs were pushed into flesh trade by a 24-year-old woman at Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu. One of the victims is seven-months pregnant, police said.

The Tiruvallur police cracked a case after a series of house break-in and chain snatching incidents were reported in the locality. During investigation it was found that young men from Chennai visited Tiruvallur and were indulging in such incidents in the locality.

Police said that the suspect, Indu, 24, separated from her husband a few years ago and was staying in Tiruvallur. "Three years ago, Vimala (name changed) 15, was abandoned by her father after her mother succumbed to Tuberculosis. With no place to go, she was found waiting at a bus stop crying, when Indu befriended her. Taking advantage of Vimala's situation, Indu offered to help her in finding a job," the officer said.

"The suspect brought the victim to Tiruvallur and later forced her into flesh trade and now the girl is seven months pregnant," added the officer.

The officer said that most of the men who visited the minor girls had a history of criminal cases lodged under their names. Further probing revealed that one of the chain snatching suspect was from the same locality and had lured a 15-year-old girl by promising to marry her. "He eloped with the girl and brought her to Indu's house and a few months later, the latter forced the girl into prostitution," the officer added.

It is alleged that Indu accommodated all the women in her house and they would be sent to hotels and other houses to meet their clients. Police have rescued the minor girls and have admitted them to a children's home and the women in the house managed to escape. Police have launched a hunt for the men who visited the house and raped the minor girls.

In a similar case that was reported in April this year, Kancheepuram, a 36-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly promising to hire a 16-year-old girl as a maid and later forcing her into flesh trade. Police said that the woman Velankanni learnt that the victim's family had financial constraints and offered the victim a job as a maid in the Chennai. However, the police rescued the girl and arrested the woman.