KOLLAM: The Pooyappally police in Kollam on Thursday arrested three more youths in connection with the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in Kollam. The arrested were identified as Mohammad Noufal, 21, Mohammad Sajjad, 19, and Ahmad Shah, 21, all natives of Vettoor in Varkala.
Seven people have been arrested so far in connection with the case. Four of them, who were arrested earlier, have been remanded. According to the police, a total of 12 persons were involved in the gang rape and five of them are still at large.
The incident took place within the limits of Pooyappally police station. The victim was an eleventh standard student from Veliyam, Kudavattoor in Kottarakkara, who had been missing since the night of January 29. The shocking information came out during the ensuing investigation.
The family of the victim had lodged a complaint at the police station after the girl went missing. Subsequent investigations revealed that the girl was in Varkala. This was made clear in a mobile phone-centric investigation. Police in Varkala conducted an investigation based on the information provided by Pooyappally police but could not find the girl. Meanwhile, police received information that the girl had returned home.
The shocking revelation of the girl about the gang rape came out during an attempt to seek information from the victim with the help of a counsellor. After checking the girl's mobile phone, the police got more information. Police found out that the girl was trapped through her contact with a man on Instagram.
The probe team found that the girl used to regularly chat with a young man named Hriday (19) of Nallila in Pazhangalam, Kollam. The girl informed the police that Hriday handed her over to other men after sexually abusing her first. The girl told police that she was sexually abused by 11 other people after being raped by Hriday.
On February 1, the Pooyapalli police arrested four persons, including Hriday, after a detailed investigation. Rafeeq (22) of Pazhangalam, J Jayakrishnan (22) of Pallimon, and Abhijith (21) of Nedumpana are the other three accused. Police had charged them with various offences, including POCSO. They were produced before a magistrate and remanded.
The accused were nabbed by a team led by Pooyappally SHO Vinod Chandran. The probe team consisted of SIs Rajan Babu, Santosh Kumar, ASIs Rajesh, Anil Kumar, Gopa Kumar and CPO Biju Varghese.