Kumari dance trainer held for molesting minor

The accused, who identified as M Aji, a resident of Anna Nagar in Thiruvithancode, allegedly lured the minor girl saying that she would become a movie actress and took her away from the district before sexually assaulting her, sources said.

The 17-year-old minor victim during the last year had developed a relationship with the dance trainer, who used to train her at a centre at Mulagumoodu near Thuckalay. After the two got into a relationship, the trainer promised her with an opportunity to enter the cinema industry and said that she would become a heroine.

On October 25, 2018, the trainer asked her to appear for an audition before he would take her to Chennai. On the pretence of this, he took the girl to a residence in Kaylapatnam near Tiruchendur citing that he would introduce her to an assistant director who could cast her in a movie.

Thereafter, the victim girl was taken to Chennai where she was allegedly rejected by a cinema crew for being inexperienced and that she required to perform stage drama shows. Since the girl did not return home, her mother lodged a complaint with the Thuckalay police on October 25 last year.

Later, the police managed to trace the mobile phone number of the dance trainer and tracked Aji down and his whereabouts in Rajapalayam, where he staged dance shows along with the girl.

After the trainer was nabbed, he was handed over to Marthandam All Women Police, which filed a case under Sections 5 (1) and 6 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso)Act, 2012 against him.

Thereafter, the victim underwent a medical examined, sources said. Kanniyakumari Superintendent of Police N Shreenath said that both the accused and the minor victim were secured on May 2. The accused trainer was remanded and imprisoned in the District Jail in Nagercoil.