MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court transferred the probe into a sexual abuse case from Alangulam All Women Police Station to the Tenkasi CB-CID.

Rejecting the plea of petitioner, A Neelakandan from Surandai, to quash a Pocso case filed against him, Justice B Pugalendhi ordered a CB-CID inquiry to ensure a fair probe. The court was of the view that the investigation into the complaints has not been conducted properly and directed the DSP of CB-CID to conduct a fresh investigation. The petitioner had sought the HC to quash an FIR filed by the Alangulam police under Section 528 BNSS, citing it as illegal.

The petitioner denied allegations of hugging and kissing the complainant’s daughter on February 9, 2023, issuing threats at gunpoint, calling it a fictional account.

The main contention of the petitioner was that when the case was registered against him on the issue raised by the complainant on May 14, 2025, the alleged victim was about 19 years old. Based on the age on that date, a case cannot be filed under the Pocso Act, he argued.

The second complaint was lodged with a delay of two years and six months, the petitioner said. He charged that two complaints were foisted against the petitioner, and cases were filed one after the other to coerce, defame, exploit the petitioner and grab the petitioner’s property. He argued that the complaints were malicious, motivated and liable to be quashed.

After hearing the arguments, the HC refused to quash proceedings. Instead, it asked CB-CID to take over the probe.