Kottakkal sex racket: Childline plans legal action against ‘Angels’

KOZHIKODE: A ‘non-existing’ NGO has claimed credit for exposing the child sex racket at Kottakkal  creating  a new twist to the bizarre tale.

Malappuram Childline co-ordinator Anwar Karkkadan told DC  that in his six years of service in the district,  he had not heard or seen this NGO, the ‘Angels,’ which has suddenly appeared on the scene.  

The Childline had been trying to locate the victim girl for some months after it  got information from one of the ‘customers,’  who returned after seeing the child.

“We have been searching for the  girl in Pulikode area in Kottakkal.  Later,  our child protection officer gave us the details of the children asking us to speak to them,” Mr Anwar said.

Childline is planning to move legally against the ‘Angels.’ Its members had told the media that they had  information regarding six more such families in Malappuram who had  forced  their children into prostitution. They claimed to be waiting to report the matter to the police and Childline.

“Criminal case can be booked against a person or an organisation if they suppress such information or delay to pass it on  to the police. If they had the information,  they should have immediately passed it on  to the police or  the Childline, which they did not do,” Anwar said.

The sudden entry of the NGO has raised doubts over its  intentions. “We were never contacted by any of the members of Angels. We did not know about the existence of such an NGO either in child protection or in any other area of social work,” Mr Anwar added.

Meanwhile,  Kottakkal police have intensified the search for one of the two identified accused in the case. Police said one is in the Gulf and another,  a local resident, has been absconding after the arrest of the key accused. Two persons who had raped the child are yet to be identified.

The Malappuram Judicial First Class Magistrate Court has remanded the step-father  in judicial custody.  The magistrate  also recorded the statement of the younger brother of the victim girls, who was allegedly sodomised by the step-father.