Thiruvananthapuram: Sex racket busted after probe on minor rape case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A five-member gang including two women involved in a sex racket was arrested on Tuesday during a probe on sexual exploitation of a minor Dalit girl. One of the gang members allegedly sexually abused the 17-year-old under the pretext of marriage. The arrested were identified as Sreekala, 40, of Malayinkeezhu, Shahida Beevi of Kulathummal, Sadashivan, 64, of Malayinkeezhu, Sumesh, 26, of Vellanad and Vishnu Sagar, 28, of Thuruthummoola.

The girl had first approached Vilappilsala police with the complaint that she was impregnated by Vishnu Sagar. She was subjected to counselling by childline officials who learnt that Sumesh was the first to rape her in 2015 when she was 15-year-old. The girl was a Class VII dropout and was being exploited, police said. The accused were booked under relevant sections of IPC, POCSO Act and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act). They were produced before a court that remanded them to judicial custody, officials said.