By Express News Service

PALAKKAD: Police on Friday arrested 12 persons including the woman who acted as a go-between in a case in which a 12-year-old tribal girl of Aanakatti in Attappadi was sexually exploited.

All the arrested persons were natives of Attappadi in Kerala's Palakkad district. The arrested have been identified as Indumathi, 19, a native of Aanakatty; Venus Raj, 20 of Karara; Ratheesh , 20; Kumar, 23 and Shivakumar, 22 - both from Nellipathy; Rajesh, 25; Kumar, 22; Sudheesh, 21 of Bhoothivazhi; Manikantan, 20; Ramraj, 20 of Thazhe Sambarcode; Aravindan, 22 and Easwaran, 20 of Karayur.

All those arrested were in the age group of 20 and 25 years, the officers of Sholayur police, who made the arrest, said. They were produced in the Mannarkad court in the evening and remanded. The Agali police said that they were yet to nab one accused, Sundaran and expressed confidence that he will also be

arrested soon.

It was on last Saturday that a neighbourhood girl had taken the 12-year-old girl to the Pudur festival. At that time there was only the grandmother of the girl in the house. It was when her mother who undertook coolie work returned in the evening that she came to know that her daughter has been missing.

The mother of the girl then tried to contact the neighbourhood girl on her mobile but was not reachable. Subsequently, her mother approached the police and registered a complaint. It was after two days that the girl was located from Attappadi itself.

It was when the girl was subjected to the medical test at the Kottathara tribal speciality hospital, that it was known that she was sexually exploited. Subsequently, it was after the neighbourhood girl was questioned that the names of the accused were revealed. Later, all but one have been arrested and remanded.