After the arrest of an Indian-origin couple in the United States of America, shocking details have emerged in the ongoing investigation related to the alleged case of flesh trade. A cache of cellphone text transcripts released as part of an affidavit it filed at the Illinois district court by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to support a criminal complaint against the couple accused of running a prostitution racket in Chicago, mentions the involvement of at least five women actors from the Telugu film industry, The Indian Express reported.

The text cache reads:

“Individual D: I am not rich. I cant effort (afford) thousands of dollars. Something reasonable.

Chandrakala: what is your budget.

Individual D: same last time rate. I did 2 times with tall girl south indian you came to drop her at comfort inn

Chandrakala: 3 hrs 2 times 2500$”

The HSI, the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, also informed the court that Kishan Modugumudi and Chandrakala Purnima Modugumudi had been arrested by US Border Patrol on January 23, 2018, in a separate case of overstaying after their visas had expired. They were released on bond from immigration custody on February 23.

The 41-page affidavit against Kishan and Chandrakala states that they forged letterheads of reputed organisations registered in the US, such as Telugu Association of South California (TASC) and North America Telugu Society (NATS), to ensure short-term visas for the actors between May 11, 2017, and January 22, 2018.

The Indian-origin couple was arrested for allegedly running a high-end prostitution ring in the US by luring at least five actresses from Tollywood and advertising them for sex at Indian conferences and cultural events across the country.

The prostitution scheme was masterminded by Kishan, 34, a businessman who rose to become a player in the Telugu film industry and co-produced several hit films.

While on temporary visas, at least five actresses were sometimes forced to stay in a dingy, two-story apartment building in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighbourhood waiting for their next ‘date,’ the charges alleged. They also met clients in hotels at conferences in Dallas, New Jersey and Washington, news agency PTI reported.

Modugumudi with his wife Chandrakala, 31, also allegedly kept detailed ledgers of the sex acts performed by each girl, including where they occurred and how much they collected.

Federal agents discovered the ledgers when they searched the Modugumudis’ apartment in the 5700 block of West Belden Avenue in February.

According to a June 18 report by PTI, a 42-page criminal complaint was filed in US District Court in Chicago against the couple. The complaint stated that Modugumudi threatened the life of one of the actresses and her family if she told law enforcement the truth about what she did while in the country.

Modugumudi told the woman, identified in the charges only as Victim A, that “it would be nothing for him to harm her if she talked to the police about him because she is small and unknown, not a big actress,” the complaint alleged. “(He) further stated he had a copy of her passport with her family’s name and address in it.”

Moreover, “the Modugumudis purchased airline tickets and hotel rooms for the victims, harboured the victims either at the Modugumudi residence in Chicago, Illinois, or at hotel rooms across the country and would take the victims to Telugu and other Indian conferences held across the US for purposes of identifying potential customers who would pay the Modugumudis in order for the customers to engage in commercial sex acts with the victims,’’ the affidavit states, the Indian Express reported.

According to the HIS affidavit, filed on April 30, the first red flag in the prostitution racket went up when a woman arrived at Chicago International Airport from New Delhi on November 20 and presented a B1/B2 visa, claiming to be an actor. Officials realised that the visa — generally issued for short-term use including business, medical treatment, and tourism — had been issued for an event on November 18.

The affidavit states that on February 16, 2018, officials searched the residence of Modugumudis in Chicago and found 70 condoms in multiple ziplock bags, forged permanent resident cards and social security cards and forged letters from the American Telugu Association to the US Consulate General in Hyderabad requesting visas.

Among the other documents recovered from their possession was a handwritten note on Marriott Hotel stationery with the name of victim D and Washington DC written next to it. It had an arrow with ‘room 207’ written at the pointed end, and another with ‘2 times’, ‘January 19 Venkat’. There were more arrows drawn, pointing to ‘room 404′, “1 time’ ‘January 20 Dayegano room 404’ and ‘Jan 20 one event DC. 1000 $ money.’

The Telugu film industry, Tollywood, is one of the oldest and busiest in India. The reports of prostitution rings being run by its fraternity have given it a bad name in the recent years.