Kochi: Anjali Reema Dev, an accused in the Kochi POCSO case who allegedly brought minor girls to a hotel in Fort Kochi and paved the way for their abuse, is absconding, the police said on Tuesday.
A special investigation team has been formed under the leadership of District Crime Branch ACP Biji George to track her. An arrest too is likely.
The development comes just days after she had filed an anticipatory bail at Kerala High Court. The court is yet to give its verdict on this.
Anjali, hotel No 18 owner Roy Vayalat and his partner Saiju Thankachan were booked under the punishing POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act following the complaint of a Kozhikode woman.
The woman alleged that Vayalat had molested her 17-year-old daughter during a DJ party at his hotel on November 20, 2021, and that Anjali paved way for this abuse.
The complaint further states that Anjali lures young girls by promising them work at her marketing consultancy in Kozhikode.
Girls working for her are preyed on often, said the complainant who worked at Anjali's firm for two and a half months.
Earlier, Anjali had, in a video posted on her Facebook account, dismissed allegations levelled against her as baseless.
"These details have been fabricated to ruin my reputation, to destroy me," Anjali said.
She categorically denied the sexual harassment charges raised by her former employees.
"The complainant had reached the hotel for the DJ party with some minor girls on her own. No harassment took place at the party, where several celebrities too were present," Anjali told Manorama News.
"Moreover, the complainant left the party in a happy mood. CCTV visuals are proof of this fact," she added.
Anjali alleged that the complaint was a total lie. "I did not ask the complainant to reach the hotel for a business meeting. She came on her own and enjoyed the party. Later, she and her group left the hotel happily," explained Anjali, who had earlier denied the sexual abuse charge in a Facebook video.
She also denied having acquaintance with Roy Vayalat.
The No 18 hotel has been in the news ever since two models were killed while returning from a DJ party there during the wee hours of November 1 last year.
According to the complainant, models Ansi Kabeer and Anjana Shajan were also brought to the Fort Kochi hotel - on the day of the accident, and seven days before.
Meanwhile, the police interrogated Saiju Thankachan, who allegedly drove young girls to the hotel.
Roy Vayalat, the owner of No 18 hotel in Kochi and an accused in the case, failed to appear for the questioning session on Tuesday owing to ill health.
