Two held for sexual exploitation of minor of minor in Kovalam spa

The Thiruvananthapuram City Police have arrested two men in connection with the alleged exploitation of a 16-year-old girl at a spa in Kovalam.

The Kovalam police identified the accused persons as Nishanth, 46, of Poovar, and Sajith Kumar, 47, of Mavelikkara.

The victim, a native of Andhra Pradesh, is suspected to have been brought to Kovalam in July by her maternal aunt and the aunt’s husband, who were responsible for her care after her parents’ death.

The investigators suspect that the relatives used forged documents to falsely establish that the girl was 20 years old. An Aadhaar card in her possession, which indicated that age, was found to be fake, according to the police.

The girl had purportedly been working at various spas since July and was subjected to sexual exploitation. Her ordeal came to light after she reportedly fell in love with a man at one of the spas and attempted to flee. She disclosed details of the alleged abuse during counselling.

The girl’s relatives, who are accused of trafficking and exploiting her, are believed to have returned to Andhra Pradesh. The Kovalam police have launched an investigation to trace them.

Meanwhile, the City police are pursuing the suspected involvement of a health official in the operations of a spa. Leads of possible benami transactions emerged during an examination of Nishanth’s mobile phone, an official said.

In wake of the incident, the Kerala Police conducted a Statewide crackdown on spas and wellness centres. centers. The police inspected 586 spas and registered 14 cases for various violations. Five persons were taken into custody during the raid. Besides, as many as 44 spas that operate in violation of statutory regulations have been served notices.