The Hindu : Kerala News : Sex racket busted; one arrested

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Sex racket busted; one arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, JULY 18. The Kollam police have busted a racket involving the selling of women from the State to brothels in Dubai after sending them there on the promise of providing decent jobs.

The racket was exposed when a 22-year-old from Aryankavu in Kollam district managed to escape and return home on July 5. She narrated her story to the Kollam SP, S. Sreejith, who supervised an investigation into the racket.

One person, identified as Basheer, was arrested by the Thenmala police today in connection with the incident; three others, including two women, are absconding. Basheer has been remanded to custody by a court in Punalur.

Mr. Sreejith told The Hindu that according to the victim's version, more than 100 girls from Kerala are there in brothels in Dubai. While some of them were willingly staying there, many others were kept under threat and forced into prostitution.

Basheer admitted to having sold five girls to brothels in Dubai against their wishes. The police gave the names of the absconding as Rehman, Rabiath and her mother, Sainaba Beevi. The victim told Mr. Sreejith that she had been promised the job of a sales girl with the assurance of food and accommodation in Dubai. She left for Dubai on March 2 last and on reaching Dubai, an agent picked her up from the airport. For ten days she stayed at a place, but was not told anything about the job in spite of her repeated queries.

On the eleventh day, she was told to accompany a man to her workplace to join duty. But she was taken straight to a brothel. She protested, but it was of no use.

She told the police that she had been forced into prostitution and that she had to be at the brothel for more than three months. There were several young girls like her from Kerala there, she said.

One day she told those running the brothel that her three-year-old daughter was critically ill and hence she should be allowed to go home. Though the brothel owners were initially reluctant, they later allowed her to leave.

After returning, she met Mr. Sreejith and lodged a complaint against those who had sent her to Dubai. It was on the basis of the complaint that the investigations were carried out and the arrest made.

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