A 39-year-old Chennai based TV journalist was arrested by an all-women police team for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl multiple times and aiding a number of people in pushing the girl into prostitution.

Several other people, including the girl's six relatives, a police inspector, a BJP functionary, a few brokers and a man were reportedly arrested previously in connection with the case. "Vinoba of Tondiarpet is a reporter in a private TV channel and is also into financing. Vinoba lent money for interest to the main accused Madhan and his sister Sandhya and is very close to them. It is through that link that he sexually assaulted the 13-year-old girl three times in a period of two months, including inside the office of the BJP functionary. Whenever Vinoba visited Madhan, he preyed on the girl. The victim remembered him very well," a police officer reportedly said, as quoted by a news agency. The 13-year-old girl is apparently a relative of one of the accused and when she refused to let the girl meet her mother, the latter approached the police. The victim then narrated the whole incident to her mother, who registered a complaint with the police.

Following investigation, the officials reportedly booked the accused, identified as Madhan Kumar, Sandhya, Shahitha Banu, Selvi, Maheshwari, Vijaya, Karthik and Vanitha, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act while the others who aided in the crime were arrested and remanded in judicial custody.