The Perambalur All-Women Police have launched an investigation into a complaint preferred by an advocate claiming that several women in the town were sexually assaulted and harassed by a gang that took video footage to threaten them.

The case is similar to what happened in Pollachi, where scores of women were sexually assaulted and blackmaliled by a gang, suspected to be politically influential.

Taking cognisance of a complaint from an advocate, P. Arul, the Perambalur All Women Police registered a case on Sunday under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) and under section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2008. “An important person in the ruling party at Perambalur, a fake journalist and few others” are cited as accused in the case as mentioned in the complaint, which did not name the persons involved.

Parallels to Pollachi

The advocate, who had met the Perambalur Superintendent of Police, Disha Mittal, on Sunday to hand over the complaint, compared it with the Pollachi case and alleged that over 20 housewives and college girls were victims in Perambalur.

He alleged that the gang had lured women and sexually assaulted them, besides taking videos of the crime.

They had allegedly threatened the women to part with money or face consequences.

The gang, Mr. Arul alleged, threatened the women that the videos would be made public if they failed to heed their demand.

The alleged offences were committed in a star hotel and a few other places in the town for the past few months, he claimed.

The affected women desisted from lodging complaint out of fear of repercussions, he said and urged the Perambalur District Police to investigate and initiate action against those involved in the crimes.

A senior police officer said the Perambalur police had taken cognisance of the complaint and are looking for evidence.

The police have summoned the advocate, who claimed to have some evidence, to record his statement on Tuesday.