57 Of 59 Accused Arrested In Alleged Sexual Assault Of Dalit Teen In Kerala

As many as 57 of the total of 59 people accused in the sensational case of alleged sexual abuse of a Dalit girl in the district, have been arrested so far, police said on Sunday.

Since the first case in this regard was registered at Ilavumthitta police station on January 10, all the listed accused, except two who are currently abroad, have been arrested through a comprehensive probe, district police chief V G Vinod Kumar said.

A 25-year-old youth was the last person who was taken into custody in the incident and he was held from nearby his house here on Sunday morning, the officer said in a statement here.

A special investigation team, led by woman IPS officer S Ajitha Beegam, has been investigating the case under the supervision of the district police chief.

Based on the statement of the accused, a total of 30 cases had been registered under four police stations in the district, the officer said, adding that five minors were also among the accused.

The objective of the police team is to complete the investigation and submit the chargesheet at the earliest, he added.

The investigation so far has revealed that several of the accused met the girl at a private bus stand in Pathanamthitta. She was then taken to various locations in vehicles and subjected to abuse, police said.

The probe also found that the girl, while she was studying class XII last year, was taken by a youth who was acquainted with her through Instagram to a rubber plantation in Ranni, where he raped her along with three others.

Police said the investigation revealed she was gang-raped on at least five occasions, including incidents inside a car and at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital in January 2024.

The girl, who is now 18 years old, has alleged in her complaint that she was sexually abused by 62 individuals since the age of 13.

The matter came to light during counselling conducted by the Child Welfare Committee, after the victim's teachers at an educational institution informed the panel about noticeable changes in her behaviour.

The Committee, subsequently, notified the police and an investigation is on.

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