KOCHI:The Ernakulam Additional District and Sessions Court (for trial of case relating to atrocities and sexual violence against women and children) has acquitted 15 accused in the Thoppumpady sex scandal case of 2002.
While pronouncing the order on Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge P J Vincent acquitted all the accused, citing lack of solid evidence. Earlier, during the trial, the victim deposed that none of the accused had taken her to any of the locations as alleged in the chargesheet and subjected her to sexual abuse.
The acquitted: are Arifa Beevi (48), Hameed (56), both natives of Kozhikode, Shibili (41), Tollin Dzousa (36), P Biju (43) Unnikrishnan (52), Antony Biju (38), Nassar (47), Shaheel (44), all natives of Kochi, Manaf (38) of Aluva, Shibu (44) of Kottayam, Rajan Sithara (59) of Thrissur, Salim (48), of Chavara, Vinod Kumar (43), of Thiruvalla and Abdul Khadar (71).
Of the remaining four accused, Kuriakose Mangalath, an assistant vicar from Kottayam, and Satheesh Kumar of Punalur, had expired during the trial. Krishna Murali, a Kannur native, and Paulson, the third and ninth accused in the case, respectively, are still at large.
The victim, then a 16-year-old girl and a Thrissur native, had come to Kochi in 2002 and was allegedly lured into a sex racket trap. The accused also allegedly shot pornographic films using her. The abuse came to light when the girl landed in police custody during a raid at a hotel near Thoppumpady.
The case shot to limelight when the victim, during a police interrogation, reportedly revealed the names of several prominent personalities among the abusers. Later in 2006, the victim’s mother approached the High Court, which appointed a special investigation team to probe the case.