The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Sexual abuse: search on for accused

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Sexual abuse: search on for accused

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 6. The city police are looking for several persons, including a travelling salesman and the driver of an MLA in the city, in connection with the sexual abuse of a 17-year-old mentally challenged girl at a lodge near Ayurveda College recently.

Earlier, the police had arrested the lodge manager, Sarath (33), on the basis of a complaint filed by the girl at the Thampanoor police station.

The police said efforts were on to arrest Sarath's friends, Dileep and Chandran. An official said that Chandran was employed as the chauffeur of an MLA in the city. According to the police, the girl, who was under treatment at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital for psychiatric illness, had arrived in the city without the knowledge of her family on March 23.

The police case is that, the girl was accosted by Mathew Koshy alias Babu (40), at the Thampanoor bus stand. They checked into a lodge at Ayurveda College under the pretext that they were married.

According to the Circle Inspector (Thampanoor), P.S. Sabu, the lodge manager, Sarath, ``sexually exploited'' the girl after she was `abandoned' by Koshy. The police said that Sarath also forced the girl to have sex with his friends, Dileep and Chandran. He said the girl was sexually exploited by some autorickshaw drivers at some other lodges in the city. The entire episode came to light when the girl sought refuge at the Thampanoor police station on April 4 complaining that she was being coerced by some autorickshaw drivers in the vicinity of Kairali theatre to accompany them.

The girl, who appeared for her SSLC examination last year, hails from a poor family in Kottayam. Her parents are agricultural labourers. After her disappearance, her father had filed a complaint at the Karukachal police station in Kottayam district. The police have put up the girl and father at a lodge in the city to aid the ongoing investigation process. The girl is under the guard of woman police constables.

Murder attempt: 4 held

The Nemom police have arrested four persons in connection with the attempt to murder one Sanal Kumar at Karumom on the Attukal pongala day. The accused were identified as Santhosh Kumar (25), Shibi (22), Binu (26) and Rajesh (26). All are residents of Idagramam. An official said the accused had attempted to murder Sanal Kumar following an altercation between the youth over the distribution of refreshment to women devotees.

Extortion bid: 1 held

The Vattiyoorkavu police have arrested Suni alias Vasu (22) on charges of attacking Sambhu for not paying up the money demanded by him. The accused was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody.

Youth arrested

The city police have arrested Prakash (22) on charges of attempting to murder one Rajendran at Kudappanakunnu. Police said previous enmity was the motive for the crime. The accused was remanded to judicial custody.

Three injured

Three persons were injured, one seriously, when the motorbikes in which they were travelling collided at Nalanchira on Tuesday afternoon. Police identified the seriously injured person as Jyoti (24). The other injured are Jayakumar (41) and Suresh (33). All are under treatment at the Medical College Hospital here.

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