Chennai, May 22: In a significant crackdown, the Anti-Vice Squad (AVS) of Chennai Police arrested seven individuals, including a woman named K Nadhiya (37), on Monday for allegedly forcing underage girls into prostitution. Nadhiya forced school-going girls, all her daughter’s schoolmates from middle and lower-middle-class families, into sex work.

Nadhiya became friendly with the girls under the pretext of conducting dance classes for them and teaching them beautician courses, claiming it would help them earn money part-time. Prostitution Racket Busted in Noida: Two Arrested for Running Sex Racket at Spa Centre, Three Absconding.

According to an India Today report, the police operation was led by Inspector Selvarani. The team raided a lodge in Valasaravakkam, where they rescued two girls aged 17 and 18. Sex Racket Busted in Gurugram: 10 People Arrested, Including Two Women From Uzbekistan and Two From Bangladesh After Police Bust Prostitution Racket at Guesthouse in G Block of Sector 57.

The arrested individuals include Sumathi (43), Maya Oli (29), Jayashree (43), Ramachandran (42), Ramandran (70) - all residents of Chennai - and Ashok Kumar (31) from Coimbatore. They were presented before a magistrate and have been remanded in judicial custody.

Investigations revealed that Nadhiya had targeted her daughter’s classmates, particularly those from low-income families. She befriended them under the guise of offering dance and beautician classes. It was found that she used to pay between Rs 25,000 and Rs 35,000 to send them to her clients. If the girls objected, she would threaten to share their videos with their parents.

The police also discovered that some of the girls were taken to other cities like Hyderabad and Delhi. Some of the clients were elderly men from Coimbatore and other cities. The police suspect that there may be more victims and intend to seek custody of the accused for further investigation.

Authorities from the District Child Protection Unit (South), Childline, and Child Welfare Committee (South) are working in collaboration with the police to interview the victims and provide additional counseling.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 22, 2024 09:46 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).