Mumbai, July 25: On a day Pratibha Patil rewrote history when she was sworn in India’s first woman President, a 17-year-old girl scripted a small story of courage.

Sucheta Dutta today testified in court against Sheikh Rasool, alias Rajesh, who had forced her into prostitution, sending him to jail for five years.

Hailing from a small village in Orissa, the girl had been promised a job in a Mumbai BPO firm by Rasool.

“He told her that she would be trained in English and that would make her suitable for a call-centre job. Two years ago, he took her to Calcutta from her village and then brought her to Mumbai. She was just 15 then. In two days, she was sold to a brothel,” said sub-inspector P.V. Chavan, the investigating officer from the social services branch of Mumbai police.

From then on, it had been a life of misery for her.

“She was in a state of shock after the first customer forced himself on her. She had even got married, hoping for a better life, but the man turned out to be just like Rajesh. He used up all her earnings,” a friend told the police.

Sucheta was rescued in June with three others.

When she appeared in court, wearing a brown skirt and beige shirt, the police weren’t so sure that the girl would be able to stand her ground and testify against the pimp. The other three had refused.

“She appeared very calm. There have been instances earlier where the rescued girls haven’t had the courage to testify against arrested pimps. She is a very courageous girl,” Chavan said.

Sucheta has been put into an orphanage. She has started studying and tailoring.

The caretaker of the home is all praise for the girl. “When she came here, she seemed very scared. She gave us false information. But now she is doing fine.”

But it’s Chavan who is Sucheta’s hero — she calls him Daddy. “I told her that I am like her father. I just wish I had saved her from the torment she faced as a prostitute,” the officer said.

The authorities are waiting for word from her family. They would have to apply for her custody in court, after which she can be sent home.