NAGERCOIL: Kanniyakumari police arrested ex-AIADMK MLA for Nagercoil Nanjil Murugesan for sexual assault of a minor girl on Wednesday.
Murugesan had been booked under provisions of the POCSO along with four others, including the mother of the 15-year-old victim. However, while the child’s mother and three others were arrested on Tuesday, the former MLA was absconding.
According to police, the child’s mother had allowed four men, including Murugesan, to sexually assault the girl on multiple occasions. The Nagercoil All Women Police registered case against the mother, Murugesan and three others under Sections 3(a), 4, 7, 8, 11(3), 12 and 17 of POCSO Act on Monday. The mother as well as Paul (66) and Ashok Kumar (43) from Edalakudi, and Karthick (28) from Kottar were arrested on Tuesday while Kanniyakumari district superintendent of police V Badri Narayanan formed special teams to trace the former MLA.
On Wednesday, Murugesan was nabbed in Tirunelveli district, and transported to the Nagercoil All Women Police Station. A senior police officer said that after interrogation at the station, Murugesan was arrested and taken to Kanniyakumari government medical college hospital for medical examination.
Earlier, the AIADMK had removed Murugesan from all party positions and stripped him of basic membership in the party for violating the party’s principles and bringing it a bad name. Party members were told to cut contact with him.