Kozhikode: Yet another major sex scandal has been unearthed in Kerala as the state police probed the rape case of a teen girl from Chikmagalur in Karnataka. An interstate sex racket which facilitated her sexual exploitation by over 100 men at four resorts in Wayanad district too has been busted in its wake.

The police stumbled on the racket after learning about the rape of this girl, aged 16, at a resort in Kakkadampoyil in Wayanad early last year. Further investigation revealed that the minor had been abused at three other resorts in Wayanad district by scores of men.

Subsequently, the ‘C’ branch of the Rural police arrested T K Ilyas of Madakkimala, Wayanad, an agent who trafficked girls from Karnataka to the resorts in Kerala. Ilyas gave the police the details of the Wayanad-based racket.

More arrests would take place soon, said officials.

One-year-old case

After the abuse of the teen at Kakkadampoyil resort was reported in February last year, the Thiruvambady police had arrested P Mansoor (28) of Pookkottur, Malappuram; Nisar Babu of Thurakkal, Kondotty and the resort owner Muhammed Basheer (50) of Cheekkode in connection with the incident.

The Rural ‘C’ branch later took over the investigation and a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) R Haridas arrested a Chikmagalur native Farzana (25), who is a member of the interstate racket.

Apart from the teen girl, Farzana had brought several other women from Karnataka to Kerala, said the police.

The teen had dropped out of school after Class 8 when she was trapped by Farzana.

It was based on the information given by Farzana that the police nabbed Illyas. Officials have already collected details from the resorts at Vythiri, Arattupara and Kuppadi, where the girl was reportedly abused.

A large number of people questioned by the police are now absconding. It is suspected some political leaders and government officials are involved in the racket.

Move to scuttle probe?

Meanwhile, some suspects in the case are reportedly trying to transfer investigating officer Haridas. Incidentally, it was a team led by this veteran police officer that had cracked the Koodathayi serial murder in which six people were poisoned to death over a decade by the main accused Jolly Joseph.

Haridas was transferred to Alappuzha district as DySP (Narcotic Cell) when the undercover investigation into the Koodathayi case had started. However, he continued to be part of this now sensational case after on an oral directive of the Director General of Police (DGP) of Kerala.

As the DGP’s instruction stalling the transfer of Haridas to Alappuzha was not issued formally, vested interests linked to the sex racket claimed that the transfer order to Alappuzha was still valid.

Police officers are reportedly perturbed over the move to transfer Haridas when the trial of the Koodathayi case is all set to start.