Girl child forced into sex work by relative rescued by Tambaram Police; six including temple priest arrested

CHENNAI: A temple priest is among the six persons including three women who were arrested by the Tambaram City Police who rescued a 14-year-old girl who was forced into sex work by one of the women, a distant relative of the child.

The main accused, Lakshmi (35), her sister, Kavitha (44), Lakshmi's mother-in-law, Karpagam (61), the temple priest Srinivasan (39) and two others have all been booked under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) act.

Police sources said that the CWC (Child Welfare Committee) officials had alerted the cops after one of the neighbours alerted the police after learning the girl's ordeal.

The girl's parents abandoned her a year ago after separation and started living with separate partners. She was then left under the care of Lakshmi, a distant relative of the girl's mother.

The girl had dropped out of school and over a period, Lakshmi forced the girl into sex work.

Police investigations revealed that Lakshmi's sister and mother-in-law ran a prostitution racket in houses in Nesapakkam and in Chengelpet too.

A special team headed by Pallikaranai Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Gautham Goyal secured the three women and during interrigations, they told the police that the temple priest, Srinivasan (39) of Pammal had sexually abused the girl.

Two other clients, Damodharan (56) and Prakash (48) from Semmencherry were arrested too.

Police sources said that the women charged Rs 15,000 to send minor girls and suspect that they would have other minor girls too into prostitution.

All the accused are remanded in judicial custody. Further investigations are on.