Krishnagar, Oct. 20: A 19-year-old housewife moved into a brothel in Nadia, her six-month-old son clinging on to her, a fortnight ago because her husband could not provide for the two of them.

Her mother, Sandhya Sarkar, filed a police complaint on Tuesday alleging that she had been sold off to the red-light area in Shantipur, 70 km from Calcutta, by her husband, but the girl herself denied that.

Prashanta Sil, a carpenter at Pallisreepara in Krishnagar, 85 km from Calcutta, had married her after an affair two years ago. “But, my husband is without any work for a long time and can’t feed me or my little baby. So, I have chosen to come to this place (brothel) on my own,” she said.

Following her mother’s complaint, Shantipur police raided the brothel last night and questioned the girl. But neither she nor her husband could be held following the denial.

Other sex workers admitted that Prashanta had dropped his wife there. “We saw her with her husband when she came here a fortnight ago. Her baby was in her arms and was crying,” said Seema Haldar.

“I have come here as my husband doesn’t have the means to provide a square meal a day. He is jobless and in debt. What could I do? Some of the people of that locality told me that I could only survive if I sell myself. So, I came here,” the girl said.

She said she loves her husband but would not return to him. “I don’t want him arrested.” She doesn’t want to return to her family either. My father is a daily labourer and finds it hard to feed my mother, four sisters and two brothers. I don’t want to be a burden on him. Also, what will I tell them ? I had married Prashanta after a love affair,” said the girl, who studied up to Class V.