CHENNAI: Four minor girls from Tripura aged 14-17, who were brought to Chennai and forced into flesh trade, were rescued by police. Four police personnel attached to the Kelambakkam station were transferred out of the station by Tambaram Police Commissioner M Ravi for dereliction of duty and the Flower Bazaar police have filed an FIR against four people in the case.
According to police, the girls were tortured and raped after being promised jobs in beauty salons. The main accused, Chalema Khatun (38) of Sivajala in Tripura, along with Alavudeen, Moindeen and Anwar Hussain brought the girls to the city on January 17. “Their parents were paid around Rs 13,000. The minors were lodged at two rented houses in Padur near Kelambakkam.
The girls were beaten, tortured and raped repeatedly by the accused. Each girl was then sent to six men every day between 7 pm and early morning. They were forced to generate Rs 50,000,” said N Lalitha, CWC member and complainant, who spoke to the girls. The girls are aged 17, 16, 15 and 14. The youngest victim had not even attained puberty, police said.
Till January 26, the minor girls were taken to different locations in the night, despite the curfew. The accused also allegedly filmed the victims naked and threatened them to “behave” properly with the customers, said a senior police officer.
Cops turn blind eye
According to the FIR, the police control room received information on January 26 about the flesh trade and Kelambakkam police were alerted. Four police personnel visited the spot and let the accused take the girls away after receiving money from them instead of rescuing the victims, the FIR said.
R-Day escape
With police getting wind of their activities, the gang shifted the girls to a lodge at Flower Bazaar on January 26 and planned to move to Bengaluru the next day. However, one girl managed to escape from the lodge and approached police personnel on patrol on Republic Day. Flower Bazaar police were alerted and a team rushed to the lodge and all four victims were rescued.
The girls were sent to a home. Child Welfare Committee members conducted inquiries with the girls and lodged a complaint at the Flower Bazaar police station. A case was registered and a hunt was launched for the suspects. Khatun was nabbed while others are absconding.
An FIR was registered under sections pertaining to POCSO Act, The IT Act (Violation of Privacy), JJ Act and Immoral Traffic Prevention Act. Tambaram Police Commissioner M Ravi has transferred one head constable and three constables from the Kelambakkam police station. “The personnel failed in their duty and did not rescue the girls despite getting the information through the police control room on Wednesday. An inquiry under an assistant commissioner is underway. We are not sure if they received money,” said M Ravi.
Promised work in beauty salons
N Lalitha, CWC member, North Chennai, who spoke to the girls said Chalema Khatun first took the 17-year-old girl to Bengaluru in December and forced her into flesh trade. The girl was already a mother of two children and her husband had deserted. “The gang had convinced her parents that they would train her in eyebrow threading and other skills for work in beauty parlours. Later, they found three more girls and brought them to the city,” said Lalitha. The minor girls are being given treatment and counselling