Boyfriend in police custody after 20-year-old found seriously injured at her house in Chottanikara

The victim, who had suffered severe injuries, was discovered by her uncle, lying partially stripped with a knot around her neck.
Representational image.
Representational image.(Express Illustrations)
Updated on
2 min read

KOCHI: A youth has been taken into custody after a 20-year-old woman, a survivor of a 2021 rape case, was found severely injured and unconscious at her residence in Chottanikkara on Sunday. The police have detained a native of Thalayolaparambu, who is suspected to be the victim’s boyfriend.

According to the police, the victim was discovered by her uncle on Sunday evening, lying unconscious with severe injuries at her home. There was a knot on her neck, and she was partially stripped.

It is suspected that she had been lying unconscious for hours, as ants were found on her wounds. She was rushed to Ernakulam General Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Kochi, where she remains on ventilator support.

Based on a complaint from her mother, the police have registered a case of rape and attempted murder.

The police investigation revealed that the victim’s boyfriend had arrived at her residence on Saturday night. A friend had dropped him off at the house at around 9 am, and he reportedly left on Sunday morning.

"We are interrogating the person in custody. The facts he revealed have to be cross-checked. We are checking whether this person has any criminal history. He is one of the suspects now. We suspect that the victim was physically assaulted," said V. T. Shajan, DySP Puthencruz.

The victim had survived a rape case in 2021 when she was a minor. Two individuals were arrested in connection with that case, and the trial is still pending in court.

Her mother revealed that she had only recently become aware of her daughter’s relationship with the suspect and had warned her to maintain distance. The victim’s father, a retired military officer, passed away two years ago.

"Her mother feared the boyfriend and contacted the Sainik Welfare Office in Ernakulam for assistance two months ago. That was how the matter came to our attention. She was then shifted to accommodation arranged by the Sainik Welfare Office. When the incident occurred, the victim’s mother was not at home. She rushed to the hospital after being contacted on Sunday," said Mini Pradeepkumar, a member of Chottanikkara Panchayat.

Meanwhile, neighbours had earlier filed a mass petition to the police against the victim’s boyfriend, alleging that he was causing a nuisance in the locality. "We filed a mass petition two months ago. He was disturbing the residents and had even threatened some neighbours. He behaved like a goonda. The police assured us they would take action and monitor him," Mini said.

The investigation is ongoing.

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