KOCHI: Four people, including a woman, were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a person with disabilities (PwD) after luring him to a hotel room in Kadavanthra. The police ruled out honey trap, and said the incident was triggered due to personal animosity.
Maradu residents Safana, 27, of Kadavanthra, Anand Murugan, 28, and John Rahul, 23, and Amal Venugopal, 32, of Hill Palace, were arrested on a complaint filed by the victim, Amal Dev, 30, of Nellila in Kollam who lives in Kaloor.
The victim, an employee with an online food delivery platform, alleged that a five-member gang attacked him after he refused to engage in sexual relations with the woman, said a source with the Kochi city police.
According to the complaint, the victim, who is speech and hearing impaired, was lured to the hotel room by the woman around 6.30pm on Sunday. He was allegedly detained, forced to remove his clothes, and his nude visuals were recorded by the accused.
The assault followed, during which the victim suffered serious injuries, including a fractured rib, and underwent treatment at a hospital, said the officer.
The accused were arrested on charges, including wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, and attempt to commit culpable homicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant section of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, added the officer. The victim had been in a relationship with another woman, who was a friend of Safana, the accused. After getting acquainted, Amal and Safana had been in contact via social media, which was discovered by Safana’s boyfriend, a co-accused.
Enraged, he and the others allegedly lured the complainant to the hotel room with Safana’s help and assaulted him. The accused are also involved in several other criminal cases, the officer added.