CBI to probe Tamil Nadu sex scam

Chennai: Amid all-round consternation and the eruption of street protests by students and the public in several parts of Tamil Nadu, the state government on Thursday transferred the investigation of the gruesome Pollachi sex scam to the CBI, barely hours after the case was shifted from the district police to the state crime branch CID.

It is learnt that the CB-CID will continue its probe until the case is taken over by the CBI, which could take some time. The case relates to the sexual abuse of a woman by a gang of four men on February 12 inside a car near Pollachi. They had allegedly shot a video of the abuse and blackmailed her using the visuals. The victim lodged a complaint with the police on February 24.

The case took political colour after a local functionary of the AIADMK was arrested for allegedly attacking the victim’s brother for the family choosing to go to the police. The functionary, ‘Bar’ Nagaraj, was later expelled from the party but the punitive action did not save the ruling party from intense attack from the Opposition parties and even the public, some of whom alleged interference to have the police go slow on the case so as to protect the culprits.

Deputy Speaker of Assembly and AIADMK senior Pollachi Jayaraman lashed out against DMK president MK Stalin accusing him of spreading falsehood implicating his family in the sex scam. He also lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer alleging that Stalin’s false propaganda was aimed at gaining electoral advantage and that his son-in-law Sabareesh was involved in the social media flood against him (Jayaraman).