The recent arrest of a Telugu couple by police in Chicago, U.S., ‘for importing some Telugu actresses for prostitution’ has exposed the use of cultural events organised by some Telugu associations as a cover.
Investigators in the U.S. busted the ring using mobile phone numbers, text messages, emails, hotel room bookings and even geographical location of the women, who were described as victims.
According to U.S. investigators, Modugumudi Kishan and his companion Chandrakala Purnima, were prime suspects in the transport of Tollywood artistes for prostitution. The investigations were reported by the Homeland Security Investigations team.
- Cultural events organised by Telugu associations in the U.S. were used as cover for running prostitution rackets, involving some Telugu actresses.
- Prime suspect Modugumudi Kishan's email id was used to book 76 airline tickets between Nov. 2016 and Nov. 2017. The billing address for all tickets was Kishan's home in Illinois.
- About 42 room reservations were made in hotels across the U.S. under different names between Nov. 2016 and Jn 2018 using Kishan's email id.
- The suspects collected $1000 to $2,500 from customers to spend a few hours with the actors.
- The probe agencies gathered travel records, hotel bookings, statements of the victims and customers, text messages, ledgers from Kishan's residence during a raid and the photographs of some Indian actors used for prostitution.
The genesis
The operation unravelled when a Telugu film heroine was detained by U.S. officials at Chicago’s O’Hare airport on November 20, 2017. Her visa application stated that she was travelling to attend a Telugu Association Star Night in California on November 18. Agents grew suspicious as she had arrived two days after the purported event and landed in faraway Chicago. The woman said she was given travel documents by a person identified as Raju.
The invitation letters submitted by her turned out to be fake. This was revealed when investigators checked with the office-bearers of Telugu Association of Southern California (TASC), and North America Telugu Society (NATS), who denied issuing them.
Based on Raju’s phone and his email id, investigators conducted internet searches and came across an article which alleged that a person identified as Sreeraj Chennupatti was drawing actresses into prostitution.
Verification with mobile phone service providers revealed that the phone number was being used by Kishan. Two email IDs were frequently accessed from Kishan’s home in Illinois. One ID used by the woman visitor was accessed from his home Internet Service.
Investigators found that the female actor’s flight ticket listed Kishan’s mobile as the contact and his credit card was used to book flights for her and other victims, and to pay mobile phone bills.
The suspect’s email id, the U.S. records said, was used to book 76 air tickets from November 2016 to November 2017 and used his address for billing.
Also, 42 hotel room reservations were made across the U.S. between November 2016 and January 2018 using the same email id, and names for the bookings appeared to be of Indian descent.
Federal agents found that the suspects collected $1,000 to $2,500 from individuals to spend a few hours with the actresses. Kishan and Chandra Kala also used their house to host clients.
A fake U.S. ‘lawful permanent resident’ card, social security card in Kishan’s name, copies of letters purportedly given by a Telugu Association to the U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad requesting visas, diaries with victims’ names were seized from his house.
Kishan had stayed on in the U.S. after a visa issued in April 2015 expired.
The United States Border Patrol (USBP) arrested the suspects on January 23, 2018 and they were released on bond on February 23. The trial is scheduled in November.
The expose has brought several Telugu associations under pressure . “The hard work of so many people over four decades is hit and the commitment to preserve their culture and language in an alien land is undermined,” said Mohan Nannapaneni, former President of Telugu Association of North America (TANA).
“Unlike what the Indian media has been projecting, the authorities have not questioned the organisations but only the couples involved,” says Parmesh Bheemreddy, President-elect of American Telugu Association (ATA).
(With inputs from R. Srinivas)
