COMMON JUDGMENT

These Criminal Appeals have been filed by Accused Nos.2, 3, 4, 7 and 9 to 19, challenging the conviction and sentences imposed upon them vide judgment dated 04.01.2019 and 07.01.2019 in Spl.S.C.No.20 of 2018 on the file of the learned Sessions Judge, Mahila Court, Cuddalore. The judgment of conviction was pronounced on 04.01.2019 and the sentences were pronounced on 07.01.2019.

2. As all these appeals arise out of a common judgment of the trial Court, they are taken up together, heard and disposed of by this common judgment. For the sake of convenience, the parties are hereinafter referred to as per their ranking before the trial Court.

3. Case of the Prosecution:

(i) It is the case of the prosecution that two victim girls aged 13 and

14 years, who were studying in 7^th and 8^th standard, respectively, were abducted by the accused and were forcibly trapped into commercial sex trade; that victim-1 (PW2) was brought up by her grandmother (PW3) as she lost both her parents; that victim-2 (PW9) was brought up by her father (PW1), as she lost her mother at a very young age; that PW2 was enamoured by one of her friend's financial status; that when she enquired from that friend