The Koyambedu all-women police have arrested eight individuals, including a supporting actor and a local DMK functionary, for their alleged involvement in a sex trafficking ring that exploited a 15-year-old schoolgirl. The case, which began with a rescue operation in August, has expanded to reveal a network that preyed on the vulnerable minor.
The victim, a Class IX student, was left orphaned after her father’s death and abandoned by her mother who remarried and moved away. She was taken in by her mother’s friend, Poongodi, a dancer residing in K.K. Nagar, who allegedly exploited the girl’s precarious situation.
According to police, Poongodi and her niece, Aishwarya, lured the girl into prostitution with promises of money, mobile phones, and a comfortable lifestyle. The minor was subsequently introduced to clients by Bharathi Kannan (63), a real estate businessman and supporting actor known for Tamil films “Pattaya Kelappu” and “Peya Kaanom.”
The investigation reveals that the accused, including DMK functionary Ramesh (40) – a former Panchayat Council president – and Mahendran, an employee of a private construction firm, sexually assaulted the girl at a private lodge in Koyambedu. She was allegedly moved between locations and further enticed with offers of iPhones, cash, and clothes.
The case came to light on August 22 when police, acting on a tip-off, raided a luxury hotel on Koyambedu’s 100-Feet Road and rescued the girl. Initial arrests included three individuals from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh: A. Anjali (31), N. Nagamma (45) – a supporting actress in the Telugu film industry – and Nagaraj (46).
“The two absconding accused, Bharathi Kannan and Ramesh, were arrested after intensive investigation,” a police official stated. “We are examining mobile phone records to identify other individuals involved in this racket.”
All eight accused have been remanded in judicial custody and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The minor has been moved to a government shelter home for girls and women in Mylapore as police continue their investigation into the trafficking network.
(With inputs from Dinamalar)
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