One month after the Tamil Nadu Police began interrogations in the Pollachi sexual assault case, the CBI took it over, on Saturday, 27 April.
It has registered two FIRs in connection with the case, reported ANI.
Earlier in the day, The News Minute reported that the accused have admitted to videotaping at least 10 women, quoting sources.
"This number is based on the confessions from the accused. We are yet to have any survivor come out," says a source in the CB-CID told the online portal.
The investigating officer also added that it was not the same as the three women whose videos were circulated on social media.
The investigations have reportedly revealed that multiple survivors had allegedly been raped.
“In view of the confession of the accused and other materials recovered from the accused, it appears that the accused conjointly committed rape of victims and further it was revealed by them that videos taken by them involving the victims were used by them to intimidate the victims with the fear of exposure and coerced them to part with valuable property and also abused them by physical exploitation. The offences u/s 370 (exploitation) and 376 IPC (rape) were invoked and necessary alteration report submitted to the Honourable CJM, Coimbatore,” reads the report.
The FIR against R Mannivanan, the fifth accused now included rape charges. He was taken into custody from 29 March to 5 April and his confession has been recorded, TNM reported.
The case relates to sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman in a car by a four-member gang near Pollachi in Coimbatore district on 12 February.
The accused had tried to strip her, shot a video of the act and blackmailed her. She managed to free herself and lodged a complaint with police on 24 February.
(With inputs from The News Minute, ANI)
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