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

Two men have been arrested by the Thiruvananthapuram City Police for allegedly exploiting a 16-year-old girl at a Kovalam spa. The accused, Nishanth, 46, and Sajith Kumar, 47, were identified by the Kovalam police. The victim, originally from Andhra Pradesh, had reportedly been living with her maternal aunt and uncle in Kovalam since her parents' death in July.

The authorities suspect that the girl's relatives used false identification documents to claim she was 20 years old. The police discovered that the girl's Aadhaar card, bearing the false age, was invalid. It was learned that the girl worked at multiple spas since July and had been subjected to sexual exploitation. Her situation came to light after she tried to escape and fell in love with a man at one of the spas.

She shared details of the abuse during counseling sessions. The girl's family, accused of trafficking and exploitation, are believed to have since returned to Andhra Pradesh. The Kovalam police are actively investigating the suspects' whereabouts. Simultaneously, the City police are investigating potential involvement of a health official in the spa operations.

During their probe, they found possible evidence of benami transactions linked to Nishanth's mobile phone. In response to the incident, the Kerala Police conducted a statewide crackdown on spas and wellness centers, inspecting 586 establishments and registering 14 cases for various violations. Five individuals were arrested, and 44 spas operating unlawfully have been issued notices.