Chennai: Four-member gang, who were arrested for alleged harassment and abuse of more than 50 women across Tamil Nadu using social media as a tool, were charged under the Goonda's Act, the police said.
Pollachi harassment racket, came to light two weeks ago after four accused were arrested for allegedly blackmailing and harassing a 19-year-old girl. The shocking visuals of harassmentof the girl became viral on social media platforms which propelled the issue in public platform. The confession by the accused created tremors across the state and netizens raised their voice demanding justice for the victims and punishments for the accused.
According to the police, mobile phones containing images of around 50 women were seized during the investigation.
"They tricked young women with fake female accounts on Facebook. In most of the cases, they struck a conversation with the victims on sex-related topics. After extending a hand of friendship, conversations turned into sexual chats and they later revealed their identity and forced the women to meet in person citing their chats. Then they started to blackmail them and threaten to expose their chats and visuals. The victims are from Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem and many parts of Tamil Nadu, and they include school and college teachers, doctors, senior secondary and college students," the officer said.
Most of the victims refused to file formal complaints fearing a backlash from their families, police said. “While refusing to file complaints, at least four victims informally confessed to the police about how they were trapped by the gang. Their versions corroborated with the confessions made by the accused,” an investigation officer said.
The one of the four accused spoke to the 19-year-old on Facebook and befriended her. “On February 12, both of them decided to meet during the lunch break in her college. As she met him and entered his car, three of his friends joined them. After the car started moving, the man who invited her started harassing her sexually while others took videos. They used this video later to blackmail her for more such meetings and money,” the officer said.
After the girl told her family about the incident, her brother approached the gang and requested them to delete a video, but he was threatened instead. The family then filed a complaint at the nearest police station.
The ruling AIADMK party removed A Nagaraj, one of the accused in the second case of threatening the victim's brother, from the party's primary membership after his photo with an AIADMK minister was circulated on social media.
Coimbatore DSP R Jeyaram has urged the public to inform the police if they know of any other victims, promising that their details will be kept confidential.
The four accused have been booked under Women Harassment Act. Also DSP city stated that Goonda's Act will be filed against those criminals and investigation would be clean.
Meanwhile, the opposition party across the state took this issue seriously pressing for clean and independent probe citing the political influence by ruling government. DMK chief M K Stalin issued a statement asking whether the AIADMK government was trying to protect the accused.
Kanimozhi, MP from DMK and sister of party chief M.K Stalin announced that she going to protest today for the justice of victims. But the permission from the state government for the protest is yet to be granted. But Kanimozhi confirmed that she would not withdraw the protest at any cost.
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