MADURAI: In a case that has shocked the city, the Madurai police arrested a gang of six persons, including five women, for allegedly pushing a 16-year-old girl into prostitution for the last four years.

The girl was pushed into prostitution soon after she attained puberty. More than 200 people have sexually abused the child over the past four years at different places in the locality. As most of the transactions were in cash, the list of men who had assaulted the child could not be ascertained immediately. However, police have seized the cell phones of the suspects and victim, which may help them track down the men involved.

The minor has been shifted to a safe home after undergoing a medical test at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. Annalakshmi* (45), Chandrakala alias 'Issh' Chandrakala (56), Anarkali (58), Thangam (44), Sumathi (45) and Saravana Prabu (30) were arrested under sections of the POCSO Act, ITB Act and IPC by Tallakulam All Women Police Station. Another suspect, one Chinnathambi, is absconding.

The arrested were produced before a court and lodged in Melur and Nilakottai Sub Jails. Police said that the gang had evaded detection for years by regularly shifting locations and tipping off cops on other prostitution rackets.

Police said that the girl’s father had died when she was at a young age. As her mother had mental health issues, her aunt Annalakshmi (name changed), who worked as a prostitute, pushed her into the sex trade. The girl eventually dropped out of school when she was in Class 8. At one stage, as her aunt had no customers, she sent the girl to Sumathi, another prostitute. Sumathi reportedly groomed the child with expensive gifts including mobile phone and gold jewellery. The child soon started living with Sumathi. Police said that Thangam, Chandrakala and Anarkali, prostitutes in the locality, also started using the girl for their customers. Though the gang earned a lot of money through the girl, they paid her very little.

The racket eventually came to light after the anti-trafficking unit, led by inspector N Hemamala, received a tip-off. The team tracked the gang for months but struggled to rescue the child, a member of the unit said.

Saravanaprabu, a private ambulance driver, had taken the girl for the night when we managed to catch him red-handed,” said a police officer. The absconding suspect Chinnathambi ran an auto exclusively for the prostitution racket, added the police.