The Pollachi serial sexual assault and blackmail case has been transferred to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department. Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police T.K. Rajendran passed the orders on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Coimbatore district collector K. Rajamani ordered detaining of the four accused under the Goondas Act for their alleged involvement in the case. He passed the orders based on a recommendation by Coimbatore Rural Superintendent R. Pandiarajan.
The Police had arrested K. Thirunavukkarasu (27), N. Sabarirajan (25) aka Rishwanth, N. Sathish (29) and T. Vasanthakumar (24) last month and charged them with sexually assaulting a girl and filming the act.
The mobile phones seized from the accused had videos of at least 40 women who the accused had allegedly blackmailed for money and sexual favours.
The accused were booked under Sections 354 (A) [sexual harassment], 354 (B) [assault or use of criminal force] of the IPC read with 66 (E) of IT Act and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.
The release of video clipping of the sexual assault created outrage across the State with political leaders demanding stringent action against the perpetrators.
As a fallout of the political outrage, the AIADMK had expelled 'Bar' Nagaraj, a Pollachi functionary. The party merely charged him with bringing disrepute to the organisation. Nagaraj was earlier arrested on charges of assaulting the brother of the complainant in the case. He is now out on bail.