KOTTAKKAL:The hard work of T V Mumthas, a social worker, has helped police and Childline to help a 13-year-old girl at Kottakkal from prostitution. Mumthas’ secret investigation helped in getting details of the girl’s family.
Mumthas got a tip-off about the family’s sex trade from a person living near their home. Mumathas is a member of a social club in the area, called Angels. She sought the support of the club and went to the area on the pretext of carrying out a social survey. She took information regarding the survey from a few homes, and also went to the house of the girl. “The girl’s mother was reluctant to meet me in the beginning. I collected evidence from the younger children in the home.
They did not have any idea about the jobs of their fathers or brothers. The mother came out and met me after some time, and told that they are about to leave the house in few weeks’ time. She too did not give details about the jobs of her husband or her elder son. I got details of the girl’s school, and it helped me find the gruesome details,” Mumthas told Express.
Mumthas then met the teachers in the school, and asked them about the girl. The school officials told her that the girl regularly missed classes. They also said that once her brother had fetched her from school without the consent of teachers.
“I then approached Childline and police with the details. Childline interacted with the girl and collected details of her sex trade,” Mumthas added. The girl was sold for Rs 3,000 to a person, and the agent received Rs 500 as commission.