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Poverty Forces Former Sport Champion into Flesh Trade

by VR Sreeraman on Aug 10 2009 1:15 PM

Nisha Shetty, who once held her head high with the pride of winning a silver medal at the national level, is hiding her face underneath the scarf with shame.

Six years after winning the medal for a high jump, Shetty finds herself locked in Raipur Women's Prison after she was caught in a sex racket.

Abject poverty, unemployment and her husband's death in 2007 forced the former athlete into the flesh trade who needed money to raise her five-year-old child and fulfilling her daily needs.

Prostitution was the only way left for the 26-year-old mother to turn to after she was unable to land a job for herself despite having a shining sports background.

She was caught along with two other girls and three boys including a pimp from a posh colony in Devendra Nagar in Raipur.

Her sports background was discovered during a police interrogation.

"During interrogation, one girl said that she was a national champion. She was a long and high jump champion," said Manisha Thakur, District Superintendent Police, Women's Jail.

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Shetty who hails from Assam represented the state in athletics at the national games in 1998. This is where she met her late husband, a football player, and got married to him later.

He died due to kidney failure after he became alcoholic and suffered from depression for not being able to find a job.

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Shetty who had dreamt of a bright career following her achievements is only faced by harsh realities of life and no financial support from anywhere.

A sobbing Nisha in the Women's Prison tells a reporter that all her past achievements, certificates and medals are not able to get her two meals a day.

"I have many medals at the regional level and one at the national level. I got a silver medal at the national level,' said Shetty.

A court has granted her bail due to enormous public support in her favour. However, she is still in the jail, as she doesn't have Rs. 10,000 for executing a bond.

Source-ANI
SRM


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