they found videos of children
An Indian man who was arrested for illegally selling ‘gutkha’ was found to be a paedophile.
The Greater Chennai Police arrested the man as part of an initiative to combat illegal ‘gutkha’ sales.
However, after checking the man’s phone, they found videos of children who he had sexually abused.
The Indian man, 48-year-old Perumal, ran a soft drink shop in Chennai before being taken in for questioning.
While at the police station, his paedophile status was discovered.
Perumal was immediately handed over to Kilpauk All Women Police. From there, they began an investigation regarding the sexual abuse of minors.
During the investigation, the police discovered that the Indian man and a 30-year-old woman were having an affair.
The affair lasted more than a year, and Perumal also befriended the woman’s nine-year-old daughter.
According to police, he soon began to sexually assault the child.
In another horrific revelation, the nine-year-old featured in one of the videos on Perumal’s phone.
The girl’s mother was also reportedly present while she was being abused.
As well as the nine-year-old girl, the Indian man also abused her four-year-old cousin.
An 11-year-old girl from the neighbourhood was also a victim of Perumal.
Police booked the Indian man under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
They also arrested two other women for assisting Perumal in his crimes.
Perumal was initially questioned for illegally selling ‘gutkha’, a chewing tobacco widely consumed in South Asian countries like India and Pakistan.
It is made from crushed areca nut, tobacco, catechu, paraffin wax, slaked lime and sweet or savoury flavourings.
However, ‘gutkha’ also contains carcinogens, and is thought to trigger severe health issues.
The use of ‘gutkha’ can have negative effects on people and their families.
In September 2019, an Indian wife took her own life after her husband stopped her from taking ‘gutkha’.
The woman, 26-year-old Poonam from Punjab’s Ludhiana, hung herself at her home before being found by her husband the next day.
Her husband, Vinod, told the police that she asked him for ‘gutkha’ the evening before her suicide, but he refused.
He said that he told her that she already consumes so much that her teeth were getting worse.
He also used to tell his wife:
“I should have known you would have never stopped eating ‘gutkha’.”
However, after learning his wife committed suicide soon after, he revealed that he regrets saying any of it to her.
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