CHENNAI: The special court for POCSO (Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences) Act cases in Chennai on Thursday convicted 21 people, including a police inspector and a local functionary of the BJP, for forcing a minor girl into flesh trade and raping her.
Special court judge M Rajalakshmi said the court would pronounce the quantum of punishment for the offences on September 19. According to the prosecution, a 13-year-old girl was forced into prostitution by her cousin in north Chennai in 2020. The girl was left in the care of the accused by the girl’s mother as she was struggling to make ends meet.
The cousin along with her husband forced the child into flesh trade with the help of pimps.Police investigation had revealed that she was raped by eight to 10 people in a day. Pugalenthi, the then inspector of Ennore police station, had also sexually assaulted the minor girl. Rajendran, a local BJP functionary, too, was part of the flesh trade racket.
The matter came to light after the police held inquiries based on a complaint lodged by the girl’s mother saying that her niece has detained her daughter illegally and not handing over her back. A total of 26 people were booked under POCSO Act and Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act in November 2020. Of them, 22, including the inspector, were arrested, while four people are still at large. One of the arrested accused has died.