HYDERABAD: An inter-country racket of trafficking of Tollywood and Kannada actresses into the United States for engaging in commercial sex with Indians on the pretext of performing at Telugu and Indian conferences was busted by United States investigation agencies. So far, five Indians from the Telugu and Kannada film industry were identified as victims of illegal importation into Chicago for prostitution and immoral purposes by a small-time Tollywood production manager couple.
Following the busting of the racket, US Federal agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) filed a criminal complaint in the
United States district court of North District of Illinois Eastern Division.
The accused Tollywood couple were identified as Kishan Modugumudi alias Sreeraj Chennupati and Chandrakala Purnima Modugumuda alias Vebha Jayam, both natives of Hyderabad but illegally living in the United States. They were arrested on April 28, 2018, in Washington DC and the issue came to light now in the wake of the detention hearings in the court.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the US Illinois Court, (a copy of which is with TOI), the offences took place from May112017 to January 22, 2018.
The accused couple purchased airline tickets and booked hotel rooms for the victims and harboured them either at Modugumudi’s residence in Chicago or hotel rooms across the country.
“The accused would take the victims to Telugu and other Indian conferences held across the US to identify potential customers who would pay them to engage in commercial sex,” the HSI alleged in the complaint.
Federal agents seized travel records, recorded the statement of victims, hotel records and statement of customers acknowledging the purchase of commercial sex act with Telugu actress by Vebha Jayam.
During the raids on February 16, 2018, based on a federal search warrant at the couple’s residence in Chicago, law enforcement recovered 70 condoms, divided into multiple ziplock bags, a fraudulent US lawful permanent resident card and security card in the name of Kishan. They also seized copies of a letter written by the Amercial Telugu Association (ATA) to the US consul general at Hyderabad requesting visa for specific individuals. A copy of the appointment letter for B1-B2 visa of the US consulate was also found.
The accused would take the victims to Telugu and other Indian conferences held across the US to identify poten... Read More