Two women were arrested on Monday, while another had been apprehended a few days earlier following complaints by the affected persons, they added.
Key Points
- Three women have been arrested in Kochi in connection with an alleged sex racket operating under the guise of overseas modelling and job opportunities.
- Victims alleged they were lured abroad with promises of modelling assignments or beauty salon jobs before being drugged and sexually assaulted.
- Police said the assaults were allegedly video recorded, and victims were blackmailed and stripped of their passports.
- An SIT is probing the case, which currently has five accused, with police suspecting more victims may come forward.
- Investigators are also probing the possible involvement of local goonda elements and threats issued to victims to stop them from filing complaints.
Three women have been arrested in Kochi in connection with an alleged sex racket being run under the guise of offering women modelling opportunities abroad, police said on Tuesday.
Two women were arrested on Monday, while another had been apprehended a few days earlier following complaints by the affected persons, they added.
The complainants alleged that they were taken abroad on the pretext of modelling assignments or other jobs and were then drugged and raped there, police said.
Victim alleges assault, blackmail and passport seizure
Giving details of the case, Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said that initially a young woman filed a complaint claiming that she met the accused at a common place and was later taken abroad to work in a beauty salon.
On reaching the foreign country, she was sexually assaulted and exploited. The acts were video recorded, she was allegedly forced to agree to such acts repeatedly, and her passport was taken away, he said.
"She was very badly harassed and exploited by the people involved in the racket," the officer told reporters.
A case was subsequently registered and a special team was formed to investigate the matter, Kumar said, adding that there are five accused in the case.
Another victim comes forward with similar allegations
The police commissioner said another victim later approached investigators with similar allegations, except that she had allegedly been offered a modelling assignment abroad.
According to the women, they were regularly drugged and sexually assaulted by different persons while unconscious, police said.
SIT probing wider network, more victims likely
The first accused allegedly attempted to flee abroad, but was intercepted at Mumbai airport after a lookout circular had been issued against her, the officer said.
At present, three accused are in police custody and a detailed investigation is being carried out by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
"There is a possibility of more complaints as, according to the two victims, there are more women who have been exploited in this manner," the officer said.
Police probe threats, possible goonda links
Police also said the victims were threatened over phone calls and warned against pursuing complaints.
Kumar further said there was a possibility of involvement of goonda elements in the matter.
"The goonda elements in the city have been identified and are under surveillance," he added.
