In a shocking incident, a 16-year-old girl from Uttarakhand was allegedly used as a "sex slave" by an entrepreneur for the last 10 months. The girl, who chose to break her silence, filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police after her parents learnt about the atrocity. The entrepreneur, who owns a high-end fashion store in Bengaluru, is absconding and the police are searching for him.

According to the police, the girl was brought to Bengaluru along with her parents in April 2014 from Uttarakhand by a lady, who runs a fashion accessories business. While the girl was employed as a baby-sitter at the lady's home in JP Nagar (south Bengaluru), her parents found jobs as daily wage employees. Sukhwinder Singh, who is a partner in the lady's business, is the accused.

Last June, the lady entrepreneur temporarily shifted to Belagavi for work. The girl also accompanied her. The victim, in her complaint, alleged that Singh would visit home whenever his business partner was out on work. On a couple of occasions, he sexually assaulted the girl.

It is alleged that Singh raped her on several occasions between June 2014 and May 2015 at his partner's home in Belagavi. The victim told the police that she remembered him raping her at least a dozen times. The police said the victim was forced into the act, as Singh threatened that her family would face dire consequences if she did not cooperate.

When the torture became unbearable, she pleaded with her employer to send her back to her parents in Bengaluru. However, her employer allegedly ignored her pleas. It is said that her employer contended that girl was cooking up stories and threatened to lodge a theft complaint with the police if she discussed the matter outside home.

"It is evident that the girl was being used as a sex slave by the woman's business partner. The girl managed to inform her parents of her plight. They rushed to Belagavi and rescued her. We are now probing the complaint," sources in the Bengaluru Police said.

The police have registered a case under sections 5 (L) and 6 of the POCSO Act and section 376 of the IPC. The victim is undergoing medical tests. The police, after the preliminary inquiry, will transfer the case to Belagavi police.

