JAIPUR: Six minor girls have been rescued from an alleged prostitution racket in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, and five people, including family members and relatives of the victims, have been arrested for allegedly forcing them into prostitution for money.
Jhalawar Superintendent of Police Amit Budaniya said a preliminary investigation had established that five of the six girls were repeatedly sexually exploited. Two of the rescued girls were also found to have sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) during medical examinations.
The operation was carried out on November 3, following a complaint received by the SP's office last month. The complaint alleged that families belonging to a denotified tribe were pushing minor girls into prostitution, with local brokers facilitating the trade and collecting money from customers.
A special team, formed under the supervision of Assistant SP Ayush Shrotriya, conducted a decoy operation and collected digital evidence using spy cameras to verify the allegations. More than 100 police personnel, including women officers in plain clothes, subsequently raided multiple locations simultaneously and rescued the six girls.
Police said the five arrested accused. They were produced before a court on Friday and remanded to three days of police custody. (with inputs from media organisations)