KASARGOD: An Adivasi woman was held captive and sexually assaulted for two days allegedly by four men from her neighbourhood in Balal village of Vellarikkundu taluk. “Medical tests have confirmed the rape and two of the accused have been arrested,” said Vellarikkundu sub inspector Rajeevan Valiyavalappil.
The 27-year-old woman from the Malavettuvan tribe said she was conned by Shiju Damodaran, an autorickshaw driver at Mallom.
“He offered me domestic work in a house at Parappa, 10 km from Mallom. He asked me to check out the place and said I can return if I did not like. But, he took me to his friend’s place where they held me captive and assaulted for two days,” the mother of three children said.
Her eldest son is seven years old, her second son is three years old, and the youngest, a girl, is only two years. “My husband and I do odd jobs to run the family,” she said.
Shiju allegedly picked up the woman in his autorickshaw around 11 am on Monday (February 6). But he took her to the house of Shijo, another autorickshaw driver.
The two men were joined by Pradeep Bhaskaran, a mason in Balal,” the SI said. The trio raped her on February 6. The next day they were joined by another autorickshaw driver, Shinto Thomas and the four men allegedly raped her again, the sub-inspector said. On Tuesday (February 7) evening, “they called in an autorickshaw and dropped me back near my house,” the woman said.
“The police came to know about the crime late Thursday evening (February 9),” said the officer. “I immediately went to her house and took her statement. She was also taken to the hospital for a medical test,” the SI said.
“Based on the medical report and her statement, police arrested Shiju Damodaran and Shijo,” he said. The other two accused Pradeep Bhaskaran and Shinto Thomas are absconding.