On Wednesday (February 9), the Mangaluru police arrested 7 people for sexually assaulting a minor 17-year-old girl and running a prostitution racket in the city. The development comes days after the police had filed four separate FIRs under the Prevention of Child Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, based on the complaint of the minor girl.
As per reports, 3 of the accused had sexually assaulted the minor girl while the remaining 4 had introduced the victim to the clients. It has come to light that the prostitution ring was being operated from a penthouse on the 5th floor of an apartment in Nandigudda in Mangaluru.
While speaking about the matter, Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar said, “Seven more have been arrested in connection to case where minor girls and women were forced into prostitution with false entrapments and by blackmail in SMR Liana Apartments near Nandigudda of Attavar in the city. The total arrests made in the case have risen to 10.”
The police had earlier rescued two minor girls and arrested 3 people, including 2 women, on February 3 this year. They are being provided counselling by officials from women and child development, child welfare committee and child protection unit.
Besides the two minor girls, several women who were above the age of 18 years were also the victims in the case. A case was registered against them under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act. A joint operation was conducted by N Shashi Kumar, DCP (law and order) Hariram Shankar, child development department, head of a PU college, child welfare committee and women’s police station.
Reportedly, the primary accused in the case was identified as one Shameena, who had harassed and traumatised the minor victim. Other accused arrested in the case include Mohammed Sharief (46), Sana(24), Umar Kunhi (43), Mohammed Haneef (46), Sandeep (43), Praveen D’ Souza (40), and Rahrnath (48).
The Background of the Case
Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar informed, “This is an organized prostitution racket. Among the 10 arrested, 7 accused were operating in a gang while three are clients who sexually assaulted the minor. The minor came in contact with one of the accused who was previously arrested. The accused developed contact with the minor by giving her gifts and money taking her into confidence.”
He added, “The minor later was sexually assaulted. The accused threatened her of posting photos and videos on social media and blackmailed her saying that the CCTV footage of her in a compromising position will be made viral. The minor tried to confront the accused but in vain. Later, the accused convinced her for involving in prostitution.”
According to the Police Commissioner, the 17-year-old girl was raped 6 times over 3 months. The primary accused, Shameena, had established contact with minor girls and arranged meetings with clients. The racket had been running for 2.5 months in an apartment in Nandigudda in Mangaluru.
“We have the evidence on transactions via bank and Google Pay, and also a client account book was recovered…“It is surprising to see that none of the people came to know about the prostitution activities taking place in the commercial-cum-residential apartment,” N Shashi Kumar added.
