Runaway alleges sex racket at orphanage

KHAMMAM/HYDERABAD: A 20-year-old girl, who claimed that she had run away from a Kukatpally orphanage, charged the management of the home with running a flesh trade racket.
Khammam collector Arvind Kumar presented the girl, who said her name was Aruna Jyothi, before the media. The collector said he had alerted his Ranga Reddy counterpart and the women and child welfare secretary.The police too have been tipped-off. Kumar gave the name of the home as Prabhu Ashram.
Aruna claimed that she and five other girls from the orphanage had managed to give the management the slip. The Kukatpally police, acting on the tip-off from the collector, searched the area for the orphanage on Saturday, but their efforts drew a blank.
“Three foreigners, along with some people from Mumbai came to the orphanage and picked me and nine other girls and handed over some cash to the management after signing some papers,� Aruna claimed.
The head of the home told the girls that they would be given jobs in Mumbai and in Germany, she said. But most of them refused to go to Mumbai. “The sisters at the home threatened us repeatedly and insisted that we go to Mumbai. But we refused,� she said.
About a month back, Aruna and five others tried to escape from the orphanage with the help of Anjaiah, a watchman. “The bid was foiled and we were brought back and beaten black and blue. Anjaiah was starved for three days,� she said.
“Anjaiah brought us to the Secunderabad railway station today (Saturday) to rescue us. By the time the train began moving, ten men came into the station and began chasing us. But we escaped by running from one compartment to another. Radha, Kavya, David (girl), Mary and I decided to get off at different stations. I got down at Khammam,� Aruna said.
Venkayamma, an anganwadi worker from Madhira, spotted Aruna and took her to collector Arvind Kumar. Aruna has been kept at the Mahila Pranganam for the time being.
She said the orphanage had 150 boarders, including boys. They were taught vocational courses and given regular lessons. She said she had been living at the home since 1984.