Erode Taluk Police on Tuesday arrested four persons on charges of harassing two boys, and another person for providing shelter to the accused. The arrested included the parents of the boys, aged 15 and six.
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The boys and their grandparents had complained to Superintendent of Police P. Thangadurai that they were harassed by their father Ramalingam (43), his new wife Indumathi (32), their mother Ranjitha (36) and her new partner Sasi alias Dhanalakshmi (39).
It was also alleged that the four adults were not allowing the boys to pursue their studies, and that the mother and her partner performed pujas at night and discussed human sacrifice of the two boys. This had led to the boys escaping to the grandparents’ house.
Based on a complaint lodged by the boys’ grandmother, B. Bakkiam, a case was registered, and the police were on the lookout for the four persons.
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During a vehicle check on Tuesday, police arrested the four who were travelling in a car. Later, Mariyappan (42), who had provided shelter to them was also arrested. Two cars and an idol were seized from them. All the five were produced in the court and lodged in prison.
On Wednesday, V. Ramaraj and Mallikai Selvaraj, members of the two-member inquiry committee of the Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TNCPCR) held inquiries with the children, their guardians, chairman of the District Child Protection Committee, Inspector of Police, Erode Taluk Police Station and other officials who investigated the case.