Hyderabad: Three men have been arrested and produced before a local court after being accused of trapping, exploiting and harassing minor girls and women.The accused — Rupesh Raj, EN Ravi Raj alias Rafi, a close aide of a senior leader in the Indian National Congress (INC), and Sohail (Shaik Chand) — allegedly used intimidation, blackmail and tracking devices fitted with audio-recording capability, hidden inside vehicles, to monitor their victims.“In the case, POCSO charges were initially not invoked despite the nature of the offence, allegedly due to political backing enjoyed by the accused,” Malkajgiri police said on Monday.These charges were invoked after Malkajgiri police commissioner Sumathi stepped in, and the case is now before a POCSO court in Medchal.During the investigation, police also recovered two additional tracking devices with audio-recording features, suggesting the possibility of other victims who have not yet come forward. They have appealed for anyone affected to report the matter.Investigators also examined Ravi Raj’s past and found that this is not the first such allegation against him. He is already named in a separate case at Attapur police station, filed by his third wife, who alleged that he concealed his age and two earlier marriages before marrying her. She has accused him of cheating, sexual assault, physical assault, criminal intimidation and inappropriate conduct involving minors.“Such cases point to a pattern of predatory behaviour spanning several years. Justice must be pursued without fear or political interference,” officials said.
