Manhunt is on to locate 17 others involved in the case, the police said (Representational)
Eight people have been arrested, and a hunt is on for nine others, for allegedly sexually exploiting a 15-year-old girl over a period of five months in Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru district, the police said on Tuesday.
Among the accused who have been arrested by the police is the survivor's aunt who had pushed her into prostitution, a senior police officer told news agency PTI.
"We have arrested eight people including her Chikkamma (Aunt), who had pushed her into prostitution. Hunt is on for nine others who had sexually exploited the girl," the officer said.
According to the police, the girl started living with her aunt after the death of her mother three years ago.
For the past few months she was working in a stone crushing facility and came in contact with a bus driver who allegedly raped and sexually abused her.
Later, he and his accomplices raped her, made videos and blackmailed her, the police said, adding, her aunt was aware of it and allowed it to happen.
A case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code on charges of trafficking, rape and connivance besides Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Immoral Trafficking Act and Child Labour Act.