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Vulnerable Teen Rescued from Trafficking Ring, Suspects Apprehended
6 Oct
Summary
- 15-year-old schoolgirl forced into prostitution
- Five people, including actor and political functionary, arrested
- Victim rescued from lodge in August 2025
On August 22, 2025, a 15-year-old schoolgirl was rescued from a lodge in Koyambedu, Chennai, as part of an investigation into a trafficking racket. The police had received a tip and raided the lodge, arresting three people - A Anjali, N Nagamma, and Nagaraj - all from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
The investigation has now expanded, leading to the arrest of five more suspects on October 5, 2025. The newly arrested individuals include Bharathi Khanna, a small-time film actor, Ramesh, Poongodi (a dancer), her niece Aishwarya, and Mahendran, an employee of a private construction firm.
According to the police, the 15-year-old girl was left vulnerable after her father's death, and her mother remarried and moved away. Poongodi, who was a friend of the girl's mother, had taken her into her home in K K Nagar. Poongodi and Aishwarya then lured the girl into prostitution with promises of money, mobile phones, and a comfortable lifestyle.
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Bharathi Khanna is accused of introducing the minor to clients, including Ramesh and Mahendran. The girl was subsequently moved between locations by the accused and lured with offers of iPhones, cash, and clothes.
The victim has been moved to a government shelter home for girls and women in Mylapore. The police are currently examining the mobile phone records of the suspects to identify any other individuals involved in the racket. All five of the newly arrested suspects were remanded in judicial custody on October 6, 2025.
