Gang picked up orphan children too from roads

In a first-of-its-kind case in the state, it was found that pre-teen girls seen loitering at railway stations and hailing from poor families, are kidnapped and drugged for early puberty and then forced into prostitution at the temple city of Telangana, Yadagirigutta.

The police arrested eight persons Kamsani Kalyani, 25, K. Anitha, 30, K. Susheela, 60, K. Narsimha alias Babloo, 23, K. Sruthi, 25, K. Saritha, 50, K. Vani, 28, and K. Vamshi, 20, all hailing from the same family, and residents of Ganesh Nagar in Yadagirigutta.

“The accused persons run prostitution as a traditional practice in their community. Inquiries established that the gang had taken advantage of the poor families living in various villages and offered money to the parents of the girls through mediators and procured them,” said Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mr Mahesh Bhagwat.

Two such mediators have been identified, as Krishna Shankar and Kamsani Yadagiri. The latter was earlier arrested and put under PD Act for indulging in human trafficking and organising brothels.

“The gang has also picked up orphan children from the roads and a few from railway stations. A girl was in her school uniform when the teams raided a house,” said the Commissioner.

He also added that the traffickers wanted to keep the girls in the brothels and look after them till they hit puberty, and further push them into flesh trade.

Investigations also revealed shocking facts that the traffickers have been drugging the minor girls in order to ensure early puberty for them. They confessed to the police that a doctor identified as Swamy helps them in drugging the children.

“The girl children were given hormonal injections by one Dr. Swamy, for their early puberty. The hormonal injections help in the rapid growth of physical features of the girls. The doctor was reportedly taking `25,000 to give injections,” said Commissioner Bhagwat.

Yadagirigutta inspector Mr P. Ashok Kumar said that the accused doctor is currently on the run and police teams are on the lookout for him. Once the accused is taken into custody, the whereabouts and other information regarding the previous incidents of usage of the drugs on the children can be unearthed, he said.

The Commissioner said that that five of the accused were earlier detained under PD Act and were counselled to not indulge in trafficking and brothel, but they did not mend their ways and continued the offence.

The arrested persons were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act.