Former AIADMK MLA Nanjil Murugesan was arrested on Wednesday by the Kanyakumari police after he was found guilty of sexually abusing a minor girl in 2017.

Murugesan, along with three other men, were booked for raping the 12-year-old girl on multiple occasions in 2017, with the consent of the girl's mother, who is also convicted. "The child's mother had allowed four men, including Murugesan, to sexually assault the girl on multiple occasions," the police reportedly said. The three other accused men have been identified as Paul (66), Ashok Kumar (43) and Karthik (28). The girl, who is now a 15-year-old, recently eloped with a 20-year-old man. A case was registered against the latter under charges of kidnapping. When the girl's statement was recorded with the police, she revealed that she was sexually assaulted by the former MLA and three other men. She further disclosed in court that her mother was having an affair with the legislator. Nanjil Murugesan served as the Nagercoil MLA from 2011 to 2016 and was removed from the party following the sexual assault allegations against him.

A case was registered against the girl's mother, Murugesan and the three other accused men under Sections 3(a), 4, 7, 8, 11(3), 12 and 17 of POCSO Act.