KOCHI: A 60-year-old man has been arrested for the alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy in Kochi.
The accused, Gerald Kora—a native of Kunduparambu, Kozhikode, and a former school employee—was apprehended by the Elathur police in Kozhikode, a source with the Kochi City Police said.
The assault reportedly took place on January 25. The victim, a resident of Thoppumpady, had travelled to his relative’s home in Kunduparambu, accompanied by his mother and grandmother.
The police state that the accused lured the boy away under the pretext of buying him new clothes. He allegedly assaulted the minor inside the dressing room of a textile shop before taking him to a vacant apartment, where the abuse continued.
The matter came to light after the boy returned to Kochi and disclosed the ordeal to his mother. The family immediately contacted Childline, prompting the Palluruthy police to register an initial case under Pocso Act.
“Because the primary incidents occurred within the jurisdiction of the Elathur police station, the case was subsequently transferred there for further investigation,” a Palluruthy police official said.