Karnataka cops turn student into prostitute, case quashed

 

The Shivamogga  District Police had filed a prostitution case against an 18-year-old student after her arrest last year from a hotel room along with a man. 

 

The arrest, which was a scandal at the time was quashed by Karnataka High Court on December 16, which revealed the horrific truth behind the arrest. 

 

The 18-year-old student, studying BBM in Bhadravati Taluk, was a poor student. Her hostel warden, Pavitrananda Raju at Morarji Desai School, helped her get a college admission and arranged lodgings for her in the BCM hostel. In return, the woman got into a sexual relationship with him. 

 

Raju had booked a room at a lodge and was staying with her in the room. The hotel receptionist complained to the police, claiming to suspect a sex racket.

 

Soon the police raided the room, discovered a naked woman on the bed and filed a case under section 370 ( exploitation of trafficked person) and also Immoral Traffic Act against Raju, and very surprisingly, also the student.

 

Despite several requests by the arrested that they were not involved in any prostitution case, the police booked them, holding on to their version. 

 

However, when the case came before the court on December 16, the judge dismissed the police version. 

 

In its observation, the court clarified that the women was not a call girl nor the petitioner, Pavitrananda Raju, involved in any such transaction. There was no evidence that anything illegal had occurred at all, other than the police's claim. 

 

On quashing the case wholesale, the court observed that on moral grounds, Raju should be removed from the job. However, the girl's career and character would be severely damaged if the proceedings continued without any evidence for the police's claims.