Tamil Nadu: Held for selling gutka, shopkeeper found to be serial abuser of children 

According to sources, Perumal’s shop was searched by the T P Chatram all-women police on Saturday after they received information that he was selling gutka.
Image used for representation. (Photo | Express Illustrations)
Image used for representation. (Photo | Express Illustrations)

CHENNAI:  A 48-year-old shopkeeper, held for selling gutka, was charged under several sections of the POCSO Act on Saturday after police found videos of him sexually assaulting children on his mobile phone. 

According to police, the man has sexually assaulted at least five girls, aged between  4 and 13, over seven years. Apart from the accused, identified as one Perumal, two sisters, aged 30 and 28, were also arrested under multiple sections of the POCSO Act. Police said the women allowed Perumal to sexually assault their daughters for money; the women have one daughter each.

According to sources, Perumal’s shop was searched by the T P Chatram all-women police on Saturday after they received information that he was selling gutka. The police team, led by Inspector E Rajeswari, found a few sachets of gutka in the shop and seized his phone to find the contacts of his suppliers. 

It was then that the police team found the videos. “There were at least 50 videos on his cellphone,” said an officer investigating the case. Though the team initially thought he might have downloaded the videos from the internet, a closer examination revealed that the man in some of the videos was Perumal himself and the victims were children. The two women were also seen in the videos; police later found they were the mothers of two of the children assaulted by Perumal.

Quoting the confession statements of the trio, police said the two sisters, who visited Perumal’s shop often, developed an extramarital affair with him. “Perumal claims the girls were sent by their mothers to please him so he did not charge them for items purchased. The assault took place in the houses of the two women and in their presence,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP-Kilpauk) K Ramesh. Police said they have identified at least three other children assaulted by Perumal. 

‘Based on videos, Perumal has been committing these crimes since 2014’

"The families of these children said they trusted their children with one of the women after she promised to take care of them while they were away," an officer said. The women had taken `2,000-3000 whenever they allowed Perumal to assault a child.

Based on the details in the videos, Perumal has been committing the crimes since 2014, the police said. The daughters of both the women were rescued and sent to a children's home. Speaking to Express, Deputy Commissioner of Police, R Karthikeyan, said: "If the inspector had not checked his mobile phone, no one would have known about this." The police have received a formal complaint from the Central Child Welfare Committee (Chennai zone). Police said they are investigating whether the two arrested women ran a wider racket. All the three were remanded in judicial custody on Saturday.

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