16-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Abused Near Chennai, Instagram Friend Arrested

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually abused by a 19-year-old man whom she had befriended through Instagram, and the accused was arrested soon after her mother lodged a complaint, police said on Saturday.

Tambaram City Police identified the accused as J Muthusamy and said he had been in contact with the teenager through phone calls for about a month.

According to the complaint filed by the girl’s mother at the Vandalur All Women Police Station (AWPS) on September 25, Muthusamy allegedly took the teenager to an agricultural field near Old Nallur on Thursday night, where the alleged abuse took place, police said.

A case was registered at the Vandalur AWPS and an investigation was initiated following the complaint. Police said Muthusamy was arrested within one hour of receiving the complaint and was subsequently sent to remand.

The police statement did not provide further details about the case or the specific sections under which it was registered.

Tambaram Police also clarified that the Old Nallur case was unrelated to a separate allegation of child sexual abuse at a government school in Kandigai village, which also falls under the Tambaram City Police limits.

Regarding the Kandigai allegation, police had said on Friday that no material had emerged at that stage to establish that the alleged incident had occurred at the government school as reported.

Police said the investigation into the Kandigai matter was continuing and warned against spreading unverified information about the allegation.

The two matters are being investigated separately, with police distinguishing the Old Nallur case from the allegations concerning the government school in Kandigai.

In the Old Nallur case, the accused has been arrested and remanded following the complaint by the girl’s mother. In the Kandigai matter, police said the inquiry remained underway and that the available material had not established, at that stage, that the alleged incident took place at the school.

Police said further action in both matters would depend on the respective investigations.