Tamil Nadu Police are seeking custody of a minor’s aunt and her husband as investigators expand an alleged sexual exploitation case involving spas in Chennai and Kovalam, while Kovalam police have shut five unlicensed establishments during inspections in the tourist destination.
A team led by inspector Gauthami of the Kodungaiyur police station in Chennai visited Kovalam police station on Thursday to collect case details and coordinate the investigation. The case concerns the alleged sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh at a spa in Kodungaiyur, in addition to alleged exploitation linked to spas in Kovalam.
The girl’s aunt and her husband were arrested in Andhra Pradesh and later brought to Kovalam, where they were remanded in judicial custody. Tamil Nadu Police have begun legal procedures to obtain a production warrant so that the two can be taken into custody for further interrogation, according to the report. Investigators will also seek permission to take the survivor to Chennai as part of the evidence-gathering process.
Police said the Tamil Nadu team collected information from Kovalam police as part of the cross-border investigation. Officers are examining links between the incidents and pursuing evidence across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. The investigation is also aimed at identifying people suspected of facilitating the alleged exploitation.
The special investigation team probing the case is expected to seek custody of spa owners already in judicial remand for detailed questioning and evidence collection. Those identified as being in remand include spa owners Sajith Kumar and Nishanth, the girl’s aunt and her husband, and Anuroop, a health inspector at the Ulloor zonal office of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
The case has also triggered enforcement action in Kovalam, where police continued inspections of spas on Thursday. Five of the eight establishments checked were shut for allegedly operating without licences and the relevant documents. The closures bring licensing compliance into the centre of the police response, alongside the criminal investigation into the alleged abuse.
Kovalam station house officer L Sheena said inspections would continue in the coming days as part of the crackdown following the alleged exploitation of the minor. The investigation and any further custody decisions will proceed through the relevant legal process.
