Police are also investigating the properties owned by the accused in the case.

Two women accused in the Madhya Pradesh sex scandal have been brought to Bhopal under police custody in connection with the ongoing probe by a special investigation team (SIT). The duo, arrested on the night of September 18, will be later taken to Sagar and Chhattarpur districts for further probe.

The SIT is also trying to trace the money trail of the five accused in the case as well as their travel history over the last few years. According to police, one of them even undertook trips to Nepal, Dubai and an European country. On the Nepal trip, she was allegedly accompanied by a former minister.

According to police, the accused would lure powerful people - including politicians, senior bureaucrats and police officers - into sexual relationships that eventually culminated in blackmail. Many of those involved ended up facilitating the transfer of lucrative government contracts and projects to the accused's clients, which included an NGO and a number of prominent firms. In return, the five accused - who had established contact with many in Madhya Pradesh's corridors of power over the last 10 years - raked in huge sums of money through commission.

The SIT is also probing four bank accounts and two lockers held by two of the operatives to trace the money trail. "At least four bank accounts and two lockers operated by two women accused have been sealed to trace the actual money trail. They are also looking into the expensive cars and residential apartments they owned in upscale parts of Bhopal," a source said.

Meanwhile, an online initiative launched by the SIT two days ago to procure information from the public on the alleged scandal has received a rousing response. Sources at the police headquarters said that the email account - info.sit@mppolice.gov.in - has been flooded with responses, receiving an average of two to three emails every hour.