COIMBATORE: Five persons including three women were arrested on Friday for attempting to force a minor into prostitution in Coimbatore.

Acting on a tip-off that a 15-year-old girl is being forced into flesh trade, the child helpline authorities informed the Karamadai police.

Police reached out to the girl, who claimed that she had dropped out of school after class nine. She also accused a group of persons of attempting to force her into flesh trade.

A detailed investigation revealed that Monisha, 23 from Ooty and Dharmaraj, 23 from Palladam in Tirupur had handed over the girl hailing from a poor family to Rajadurai, 30 and his wife Geetha, 25 from Karamadai area to help her in upbringing .

However, she overheard their plans to force her into flesh trade. Meanwhile, Dharmaraj also attempted to sexually assault the girl in his custody.