KALPETTA: A 14-year-old tribal girl was molested by a close relative inside a forest at Muthanga under the Sulthan Bathery police station limits here on Monday. After the incident, the 35-year-old culprit escaped deep into the forest. According to the police, the incident occurred around 8am when girl went into the forest, along with two other girls.
“The man covered the mouth of the survivor with his hands and threatened other girls with a knife. When the frightened girls escaped to their houses, the man dragged the girl into deep forest and raped her,” an officer said. The incident came to light when the two girls informed their family members about the incident. Following a complaint, police swung into action and launched a search in the forest. After a three-hourlong search, police saved the girl from the forest.
However, the culprit could not be traced. Wayanad district police chief R Ilango said a case was registered in the incident under various Sections of the IPC and POCSO for kidnapping and raping a minor girl. Efforts are on to nab the culprit, he said. The survivor was admitted to a hospital and later discharged. Her condition is stable, the officer said.