Probe under way to track drug pushers accused of sexually exploiting minors
A special squad of the Kozhikode Rural police has launched a comprehensive investigation to track down a gang of drug pushers who reportedly lured minor boys and girls into their discreet network and sought sexual favours from them. The incident came to light recently following the arrest of a couple from Kuttiyady last week under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Police sources said that the detailed statement of one of the survivors had already been recorded after the couple's arrest. They said efforts were under way to identify other suspected survivors and record their statements as part of the ongoing probe.
A senior police officer associated with the investigation said some social and political activists had already raised concerns about the possible involvement of influential persons in the case. 'We are focusing on concrete evidence to make headway in the probe. The identity of the children will also have to be protected,' he said.
The police have also collected a few social media posts from various accounts that reportedly carried revelations about the alleged abuse. Drug-induced sexual assault is one of the serious allegations raised by a few local informants from Kuttiyady, which prompted the police to delve deeper into the complaints.
According to police sources, there is reason to suspect that the gang used videos of the alleged sexual abuse to further blackmail the trapped minors and expand their supply network. They said confidential complaints also indicated that some of the youngsters were allegedly forced to accompany strangers and stay in secretly arranged locations.
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