KOCHI: The City police have arrested three youths hailing from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the rape of a 14-year-old girl at Edappally. The migrant labourers had been sexually abusing her since March 2020. A police team led by Assistant Commissioner K Lalji arrested three key accused while the remaining three coaccused have fled the state. Shahid, 24, Farhad Khan, 29, and Haneef, 28, were arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Posco act).
“We had started the investigation two days ago and arrested the accused from their worksite at Edappally. The remaining accused are from Odisha and Rajasthan. We have started the probe to nab them as well,” said Lalji. The incident came to light when the survivor’s parents took her to a councillor a few days ago. “The accused persons stayed at a rented house close to her home in Manjummal and befriended the girl.
They threatened the girl and have been forcibly abusing her since March 2020 at multiple locations across Kochi. The crime was first committed at their home in Manjummal and later the accused had taken her to a room at Edappally Toll Junction. The last attempt happened at Kunnumpuram in the first week of August.
It were the parents who took the survivor to a councillor and subsequently approached us with the complaint. We arrested the accused based on her statement,” he said. The accused was charged under Section 354 of the IPC. The case was registered at Eloor police station.