8 HELD IN K’TAKA FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING TEEN FOR 5 YEARS

BENGALURU: The police on Tuesday arrested eight people including the aunt of a 15-yearold girl in a case related to alleged sexual exploitation of the minor in Sringeri taluka of Chikkamagaluru district for five months. The police are on the lookout for at least nine others.

“We have arrested eight people including her aunt, who had pushed her into prostitution.Hunt is on for nine others who had sexually exploited the girl,” a police official told news agency PTI .

“There are several others who are suspected to be involved and the case is under investigation,” another police official said. The aunt of the minor girl is alleged to be the mastermind behind the racket who pushed the latter into prostitution that went on for at least five months, the official added.

“The aunt encouraged this activity for money,” the official added. The victim is currently undergoing medical treatment, the official added.

The incident came to light after a case was filed by G Subramnya, the chairperson of the child welfare committee, department of Women and Child Development in the district.

According to the first information report (FIR) filed on Saturday, the victim has alleged that she was assaulted by several others and is unable to identify all of them. The victim was living with her aunt after the death of her mother three years ago, news agency PTI reported.

A case has been filed naming 17 people and others under various sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) 2012, Immoral Traffic Prevention Act 1956 and Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act 2016.