Kancheepuram: Hunt on for duo who forced teen girl into prostitution

Chennai: The Perunagar police have launched a search for a sister-brother duo who allegedly hired a 16-year-old girl as a domestic maid and then forced her into prostitution.

The victim's family approached the Kancheepuram Superintendent of police Santhosh Abimani to register a complaint and take action against the accused.

According to police, the 16-year-old girl, daughter of a coolie in Maanamathi village in Uthiramerur in Kancheepuram district, could not continue her studies past class 12 owing to her family's financial situation.

Three months ago, Velankanni, a close friend of the victim's family, recruited her to work in Chennai and paid her Rs 5,000 in advance.

However, after she arrived in Chennai, the girl was taken to a house in the city where she was held hostage and forced into prostitution.

Reportedly, Velankanni took obscene pictures and videos of the girl and threatened her to leak them online if she opened up to her family about the issue.

On Easter Sunday, Velankanni took the girl back to her village, which was when the girl opened up to her parents about the horror that she was subjected to and refused to go back.

When the victim's parents confronted Velankanni, she alleged that the girl had to repay her advance and also pay for her room. Sources claimed that Velankanni's brother Arul Raj threatened and ransacked the girl's house.

Following the incident, the victim's family approached the Kancheepuram SP Santhosh Abimani on Thursday and lodged a complaint.

A complaint was registered by the Perunagar police under the Pocso Act.

“We suspect the involvement of four or five others from Chennai in this case. We will be in a position to arrest all those involved in the crime once we nab Velankannai and Arul Raj,” said the Kancheepuram SP.