CHENNAI: A 13-year-old girl who was forced into flesh trade by kin has been rescued, and police have arrested eight suspects, including girl’s uncle and aunt. Six of the suspects are women.The victim Sumathi (name changed) is said to have dropped out of school after Class 5. She had been accompanying her 40-year-old widowed mother from South Chennai to the houses where the latter worked as a maid.
Two months ago, the woman’s 22-year-old niece told her she needs Sumathi to baby sit her children. Believing her, Sumathi’s mother sent her to her niece’s house in North Chennai. “A few days ago, Sumathi’s mother asked her niece’s partner to bring her daughter back, but he refused. She kept insisting that she needs her daughter back, so the niece took Sumathi to her mother,” said police.
When her mother inquired, the minor revealed a horrific episode of how she was forced into flesh trade by her cousin sister and her boyfriend. Police said that the 22-year-old separated from her husband and started living with a man as her partner. “The 22-year-old woman came to know later that her partner is a pimp and his entire family including mother and sister are into prostitution. Slowly, she was also pushed into flesh trade and Sumathi was also forced into prostitution,” said police.