Mangaluru: City Police have saved two students studying in PU colleges, and arrested three people, on charges of running an organized prostitution racket in an apartment at the South Police Station Mangalju on Thursday.
The defendant who was arrested was Shameena, Siddiq and Aheshamma.
Based on the complaint submitted by a 17-year-old, joint operation was carried out under the direction of the City Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar and DCP (Law and orders) Hariram Shankar, by the Personnel of the Women’s Police Office, Child Welfare Committee, Head of Public Works Department, Women and child development and childline.
Shashi Kumar told the media that the preliminary investigation revealed that the defendant operated the prostitution racket from the penthouse located on the fifth floor of an apartment building in Nandigudda.
A woman based in Kerala supplies clients with women, and apart from two minors, there are two women over 18 years old, who are forced to become prostitution.
The police are investigating to find out whether more students are involved, he said.
Police Commissioner said that the defendant would identify students who had problems, convincing them that they had a solution, and then forced them to become prostitutes.
CCTV cameras were placed around the house, and the defendant reportedly threatened and extorted the victims, with their photos going to the room.
The victims were forced to cooperate with clients.
It is possible that the client was too squeezed by the defendant, and the police looked into it.
Cases have been ordered under various provisions of Pocso Law and non-moral traffic prevention laws.
“Complete investigations will be launched and CCB Inspector Mahesh Prasad will become an investigative officer, and DCP (Law and order) Hariram Shankar will monitor cases every day.
Children underage have been sent for counseling, and their statements are recorded,” Shashi said Kumar.
Deekshith Achrappady, central coordinator, Childline, said that this case was detected after monitoring the situation for the past four days, and that they were given a tip with the head of PU College.