3 women get 7 years in prison for forcing teenager into prostitution, human trafficking

The Additional District and Sessions court in Chikkaballapur on February 9 convicted three women and sentenced them to seven years of rigorous imprisonment in a human trafficking and prostitution case registered by the Chikkaballapur Women Police Station in March 2022.

According to the police, the prime accused lured the victim, aged around 19 years, under the pretext of offering a job at a beauty parlour in Bengaluru. The teenager was a victim of child marriage and was facing financial difficulty.

She was taken from Chikkaballapur to Bengaluru, and from there to Delhi, and later confined to a room, where she was allegedly forced into prostitution.

The investigation revealed that the accused sold the victim for ₹3 lakh and confined her to a room in a brothel, where the latter was subjected to sexual exploitation. Other women were also allegedly brought to the premises for prostitution.

After two months, the girl managed to escape and reach her hometown before filing a complaint with the women police station in June 2022.

After the trial, the I Additional District and Sessions Judge, Chikkaballapur, convicted the accused, Venkataramanamma, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹7,000, her associates Lakshmi Narasamma, to seven years’ RI and a fine of ₹10,000, and Sharada, to seven years’ RI and a fine of ₹15,000.

The remaining accused were found guilty under relevant sections.

The investigation was conducted under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Kushal Chowksi, IPS, while the prosecution was led by Special Public Prosecutor Zahida Banu D.K.