Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Sexual assault charge: probe team gathering evidence

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 12. Doctors at Dental College Hospital here today took impressions of the teeth marks found on the body of Santhi, a Sri Lankan refugee who has accused Narcotic Control Bureau officials of sexually assaulting her after being taken into custody in connection with the seizure of 9.5 kg of heroin on April 1.

Impressions of the teeth marks were taken at the behest of the police. A police official said the dental impressions would be compared with those of the suspects. The city police, on the basis of a complaint by Santhi, were investigating if any of the nearly seven bureau officials, attached to the Regional Intelligence Unit in the city, had committed the assault.

An official said so far, no person had been named as accused in the First Informed Report registered at the Museum Police Station.

The charges mentioned include wrongful confinement and outraging the modesty of a woman, under sections 342 and 354 of the Indian Penal Code.

The police said the woman constable escorting Santhi was present at the bureau office at Poojappura on April 2 night when the alleged incident occurred. However, it could not be said if the constable was present beside her charge throughout the night.

Seven bureau officials were present in the office at different times on April 2. Santhi, the Sri Lankan national Subash Chandra Bose and Kuberan were arrested at the Thampanoor bus stand at around 10.30 p.m. on April 1 on the charge of drug trafficking.

They were brought to the bureau office in the early hours of April 2.

The alleged assault had occurred after 11 p.m. At around 5.15 a.m., a large portion of the seized drug was flushed down the toilet allegedly by Subash. The Poojappura Police registered a case of destruction of evidence against him on the basis of a complaint lodged by the bureau.

The police were verifying whether the destruction of evidence had any connection with the alleged incident of sexual assault. Santhi had told the police that Subash was distantly related to her. Santhi, who has two children, has been living in the refugee camp at Puthukottai in Tamil Nadu for the past 15 years with her husband.

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