AN Indian teenager has exposed Indias "one month wives" sex tourism.

The practice is increasingly popular in southern India, where wealthy foreigners on holidays buy “one month wives” for sex.

While these short-term contract marriages are illegal they often have the support of local families, who service male tourists from the Middle East and Africa.

Prostitution is forbidden under Islam and the short-term marriage is seen as a loophole, reports The Telegraph.

Last month Nausheen Tobassum, 17, escaped from her home in the southern city of Hyderabad after her parents pressured her to consummate a forced marriage to a middle-aged Sudanese man who paid about $1,770 for her to be his wife for four weeks.

The 'groom', Usama Ibrahim Mohammed, 44, was reportedly married with two children in Khartoum.

Police arrested the groom, the victim's aunt and the Qazi - who had performed the wedding ceremony - and issued a warrant for her parents' arrest.

Ms Tobassum is a minor under Indian law and cannot marry until she reaches 18. Her parents are now in hiding but will be charged with arranging a child marriage, 'outraging the modesty' of a woman, and criminal conspiracy.

Police Inspector Vijay Kumar said the wedding certificate came with a 'Talaknama' which fixed the terms of the divorce at the end of the groom's holiday.

Shiraz Amina Khan of Hyderabad's Women and Child Welfare Society, said there were up to 15 'contract marriages' in the city every month and that the number is rising.

"They come to Hyderabad because it has maximum downtrodden families. Thirty to forty per cent of families are going for the option of contract marriages to relieve their poverty. It has to be stopped," she said.

Nausheen Tobassum has filed a complaint to stop the same thing happening to other girls.

"I didn't know what was happening and I agreed in ignorance. They forced me," she said.

"They exploit girls. I had to show courage to go to police against my parents."