MALAPPURAM: A 34-year-old man employed as administrator of a private religious educational institution at Chattipparamba in the district was on Monday arrested on the charge of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old female student of the institution. Muhammad Rafeek, son of Alavi, hailing from Valiyaparambu near Kottakkal, works at the Zain Thafeelul Institute. The District Child Welfare Committee said the institution has been functioning illegally.
The matter came to light after the girl disclosed her ordeal to Childline counsellors. Following this, Childline authorities tipped off the police who arrested Muhammad Rafeek from his rented house in Valiyaparambu. It managed to rescue 12 more girls from the institution who have since been moved to a safe location by Childline. The police said they will also investigate if any other girl of the institute had been sexually violated by the accused.
Father held in Chelari child sexual abuse case In the Chelari child sexual abuse case, the police on Monday filed a case against the father of the 12- year- old for not protecting the girl from abusers. “The father supported sexual abuse and failed to protect the child. The father was arrested and remanded in judicial custody,” police said.