Pollachi Case: CB-CID gets 4-day custody of key accused

The hearing was conducted through video-conference due to security concerns, as a large crowd comprising advocates, members of political parties and activists gathered at the court complex on knowing that Thirunavukkarasu would be produced before the court in person.

The CB-CID police on Thursday moved the chief judicial magistrate court seeking 10 days custody of Thirunavukkarasu to find his network in the sensational case.

The police made all arrangements to produce him in the court on Friday morning, but were forced to change their decision due to the tense atmosphere prevailing there.

After taking the consent of Magistrate Nagarajan, the CB-CID police produced Thirunavukkarasu, who has been lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison, through video conferencing.

After being granted his custody for four days, the CB-CID sleuths took the accused to a secret place from the prison amid tight security for an inquiry.

Thirunavukkarasu and his accomplices Sabarirajan, Vasanthakumar and Satheesh allegedly befriended girls through social media and lured them to a private place where he videotaped their sexual acts. The gang then reportedly used the footage to blackmail the victims and extorted money from them.

The gang is said to have followed the same modus operandi to exploit several young women. However, the incident came to light only after a college girl lodged a police complaint.

Meanwhile, the CB-CID cops continued their search in Thirunavukkarasu’s house in Makkinampatti near Pollachi. Police sources claimed to have seized mobile phones, memory cards, several photographs and other documents.

The police also searched Sabarirajan’s house. “As his house remained locked, the police team returned without conducting a search on Thursday. The search commenced at 12.45 pm on Friday after his parents arrived,” an officer said.

Police personnel were posted at his house to prevent any untoward incidents as people gathered in large numbers. The CB-CID sleuths left the spot around 4 pm after ending their search.