KOCHI: The 25-year-old Kollam native who was taken into custody in Pune, Maharashtra along with a 12-year-old girl from Aluva, will be booked under the POCSO Act, police said on Wednesday.
Ernakulam Rural SP K S Sudarshan said the accused, Abhijith, is suspected to have lured the minor away. He was working as an ice cream vendor at Cherai Beach.
The police are yet to record the girl's statement as she is being brought back to Kerala from Pune.
"The child will first be provided counselling to ensure she does not undergo further trauma. A detailed statement will be recorded only after that," the SP said.
Police said the investigation began immediately after the girl was reported missing on the night of July 25. The Cyber Cell tracked the movements of the girl and the accused across multiple states. Their mobile phone location was first traced to Mangaluru, following which a police team was dispatched. As the accused repeatedly switched the phone on and off, investigators later tracked their movements to Goa and subsequently to Dharavi in Mumbai.
Further cyber investigation revealed that the duo were travelling on the Nizamuddin Express. Based on this information, Kerala Police coordinated with the Railway Police and intercepted them at Pune railway station, where the accused was taken into custody and the girl was rescued.
Further investigation is under way.
The girl had gone missing on the night of July 25 after leaving her house around 8.30 pm, telling her family that she was going to a friend's house to borrow a textbook. When she failed to return, her family lodged a complaint with the Aluva West police, following which a missing person case was registered and an investigation was launched.