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Bengaluru: Six arrested for raping minor, forcing her into prostitution
According to DCP Mahadev, the parents of the student are labourers and she used to work at a garment factory to support the family. The arrested women worked at the same factory and the victim became acquainted with them.
City police on Thursday arrested six persons, including two women, for raping and forcing a 16-year-old girl into prostitution on the pretext of a job, officials said.
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Joshi Srinath Mahadev said while the two women were involved in forcing the minor into prostitution, the four men raped the girl.
The arrested women have been identified as Kalavathi (52), a resident of Agara and Rajeshwari (50), a resident of Bandepalya. The men include Keshavamurthy (47), deputy manager of an automobile company in Hosur; Satyaraju (43), a resident of Koramangala; Sharath (38), a resident of Yelahanka and Rafiq (38) from Begur, police said.
According to DCP Mahadev, the parents of the student are labourers and she used to work at a garment factory to support the family. The arrested women worked at the same factory and the victim became acquainted with them. “The two women were involved in a prostitution racket. They made a plan to take the girl to a house and arranged for clients,” he said.
Police said that last month, Rajeshwari and Kalavathy took the girl to the latter’s house in HSR Layout in southeast Bengaluru. The four other accused were present in the house. The men raped the victim over the next four days, according to the complaint lodged by the victim’s mother with the police.
“She had complained of severe stomach ache, and when the mother probed, the girl told her what happened. Soon after that the mother filed a complaint, based on the complaint, we filed a case under POCSO (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act),” the DCP added.
Another senior officer said that the mother first approached the Bandepalya police and they were later sent to the HSR Layout police station, citing jurisdictional problems.
Cases under relevant sections of Pocso, kidnapping, human trafficking, rape, prostitution and life threat have been registered against the accused persons, police said.
