A state functionary of the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, January 13, was arrested by the Madurai police in connection with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case. State BJP economic wing MS Shah has been booked based on a complaint filed by the father of a 15-year-old girl alleging that he found text messages from Shah that were sexually colored in his daughter’s phone.
According to reports, Shah is a friend of the girl’s mother and the father alleged that he had been allegedly exchanging inappropriate messages and sexually assaulted her. “The father travelled frequently for his business across India and his wife and Shah had befriended each other and in the last couple of years, they took his daughter out with them. The father has complained that during these times, the accused has allegedly sexually assaulted his daughter and sent her sexual messages and promised to buy her a bike, a car,” Times of India quoted a police officer saying.
He has been booked under sections 11(1) (using words, showing pornography and exposing the child’s body), 11(4) (sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the POCSO Act. Shah’s phone was seized and further investigation is underway.