Trio held under Pocso Act in Anna Nagar

Chennai: Anna Nagar all-women police arrested three persons under Pocso Act including the relative of the minor girl.

Police said that the victim, a 14-year-old girl and Class 9 student, developed a relationship with a 24-year-old man, a private firm employee and her relative. She allegedly often stayed with him at a lodge in Arumbakkam and the victim's mother recently came to know about it.

On Saturday too, the accused brought the victim to the lodge and booked a room. Based on the information from the victim's mother, the child welfare committee alerted the city police. Anna Nagar all-women police rushed to the spot and secured the man with the girl. Inquiries revealed that the girl left the house in uniform on the pretext of going to the school, but had kept an alternative dress in her schoolbag.

Police arrested the man on the charges of sexually assaulting the girl and since the lodge allowed them despite knowing that the girl was a minor, its manager and a helper were also arrested. They were identified as S Stephan Sureshkumar (54) of Madurai and S Kannan (52) of Sivaganga district. All three were remanded in judicial custody on Sunday.