Kerala: 14 Arrested After Dalit Girl Alleges Sexual Abuse by 62 People

Authorities have detained 14 individuals and filed five cases related to the sexual abuse of an 18-year-old Dalit girl in Pathanamthitta district.The issue was uncovered when the girl claimed that she had been sexually abused by 62 individuals over the past five years.

The Elavumathitta police, who initially registered two cases, apprehended five individuals on Friday. On January 11, the Pathanamthitta police registered three additional cases and swiftly arrested nine of the 14 suspects.

The individuals detained are Subin (24), VK Vineeth (30), K Anandu (21), S Sandeep (30), and Sreeni, also known as S Sudhi (24), who are suspects in a case filed at the Ilavumathitta station.

Achu Anand (21) is also a suspect in a separate case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). Sudhi, the fifth accused in the initial case, is presently incarcerated due to another POCSO case previously filed by the Pathanamthitta police.

The case, filed under the sections of the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes Act, is being investigated by Pathanamthitta Deputy Superintendent of Police P S Nandakumar. The second case is being handled by police inspector TK Vinod Krishnan.

It is claimed that when the girl was 13, one of the suspects, Subbeen, sent her inappropriate messages and photos via his mobile phone. He was also accused of obtaining obscene pictures and videos of the child, according to a statement issued by the Pathanamthitta police.

Moreover, allegedly when the girl was 16 years old, the accused took her to Achankottumali near her house on a bike and raped her in a rubber plantation in a deserted area. The recording was made on his phone. During the investigation, it was discovered that Subin had shown it to the other accused individuals, who were his friends.

The Pathanamthitta police statement also said that they took her to Achankottumali in a group and gang-raped her. Three cases were filed regarding the incident at Pathanamthitta station. In the initial case, Shamnad (20) was taken into custody.

In the other incident, six individuals, including a 17-year-old boy, were taken into custody. The suspects have been named as Afzal (21), his brother Ashiq (20), Nidhi Prasad (21), Abhinav (18), and Karthik (18). Afzal is also a suspect in two cases of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which are registered at the Pathanamthitta police station. He is presently out on bail for these cases. Aashiq, who is a co-accused in one of Afzal's cases, has also been released on bail. In a separate event, Sudheesh (27), also known as Kannappan, and Appu (31) were taken into custody.

Sudheesh is the third suspect in a 2022 criminal case at the Pathanamthitta police station, whereas Appu is implicated in two theft cases from 2014, registered at the Pathanamthitta and Konni police stations. Following a medical examination, the police are thoroughly questioning the suspect. The investigation into the incident has been broadened by the authorities. The investigation into the incident has been expanded, and additional cases may be filed based on the child's testimony.