The minor had been forced into prostitution for the last several months.
(Representational Image: iStock)
A minor, a class VIII dropout, was rescued by Bidhannagar Police Commisionerate- Special Branch from a private residence in New Town area. The minor had been forced into prostitution for the last several months. International Justice Mission (IJM) assisted in the operation. The perpetrators, Suparna Mondal (42 years), Abhijit Mondal (37 years) and Payel Heera (19 years) were arrested under legal provisions relating to keeping or allowing premises to be used as a brothel and for living on the earnings of prostitution.
Suparna Mondal was the kingpin of the racket. She struck deals with customers and used her rented house as a location to exploit minor girls. A case was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) under sections 366, 370, 370 A, 372 and 373 on charges of procurement of minor girls, trafficking of persons, exploitation of trafficked persons, selling of minors for the purpose of prostitution and buying minors for the purose of prostitution. A senior officer at Bidhannagar commissionerate said that the minor was forced into the trade due to economic hardships.
Her parents got separated when she was young and from then she was staying with her grandparents. He also said that sex trafficking perpetrators are using technology such as whatsapp to sell and exploit minors for commercial sex. Technology helps them minimise the risk of getting caught. They use modern messaging applications to connect with customers and share pictures of the victims before meeting the clients at the private residence, the officer said.
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