THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A special police team led by Nedumangad DySP J K Dinil on Tuesday arrested five persons, including two women for sexually abusing and impregnating a 17-year-old Dalit girl within the Vilappilsala police station limits. The arrested have been identified as Vishnu Sagar, Sumesh, Sadasivan, Shahida Beevi and Sreekala.
According to the police, Vishnu Sagar, the victim’s boyfriend sexually abused her, while the others took her to various parts of the district for sex trade in the past one-and-a-half years. Apart from Vishnu, all others are part of a sex racket, police said. More persons are likely to be involved in the case and they will be nabbed soon. The victim is seven-months’ pregnant, police said.
The incident came to light after the girl underwent counselling under the guidance of the Child Welfare Committee. She appeared before the CWC after lodging a complaint with the Vilappilshala police against Vishnu for allegedly sexually abusing her.
The police arrested Vishnu based on her complaint and later arrested the members of the sex racket following her revelations to the CWC. “It is learnt the girl was taken to many places by Sreekala, who is her neighbour. Sreekala lured the victim after finding she was gullible. Sreekala started exploiting her promising a good income.
The girl had been undergoing mental trauma and this led her to approach the police,” Dinil told Express. The accused was remanded in judicial custody. The victim has been shifted to Nirbhaya Shelter Home, police said.