KOCHI: A day after the postmortem shockingly revealed that the four-year-old girl child from Mattakkuzhi, Ernakulam, who was found dead in the Chalakudy River, was also the victim of prolonged sexual abuse, police on Thursday arrested her father’s brother.
The accused was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, in connection with the sexual abuse. He has been moved to Muvattupuzha sub jail.
Meanwhile, the mother, who was initially arrested for her alleged role in throwing the victim into the river, has been placed in judicial custody for five days in connection with the Pocso case.
“Preliminary findings suggest the child was sexually abused in her home. The accused has admitted to sexual assault spanning over a year, including on the day prior to her death,” said an officer with Ernakulam Rural police, who chose to remain anonymous. During the interrogation, the accused confessed to his actions. The postmortem report has emerged as a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation, he said.
Detailing how the investigation led to the arrest of the accused, an officer said, “After the arrest and remand of the mother, we began interrogating several people linked to the child and her family.
Through several rounds of interrogations and careful analysis, we were able to identify key inconsistencies and suspicious behaviour of certain individuals. Then the postmortem crucially revealed that the girl had been brutally raped. The SIT then expanded the investigation, and close relatives, including the father and his two brothers, were brought under its ambit.
“The SP directly led the interrogation, which brought out the role of the father’s brother. In the cross-examination, the accused admitted to having sexually harassed the child,” the officer said. The accused is unmarried, and the child often used to sleep with him. The assaults typically took place when the child was alone with him, the officer added.
Responding to the ongoing probe, Ernakulam district police chief M Hemalatha said the case began to unravel following crucial findings in the postmortem report. “Immediately after receiving postmortem details, we registered a zero FIR based on the statement of the doctor who conducted the examination. The case was then transferred to Puthencruz police station for a detailed investigation,” she said.
“There is some suspicion surrounding the case, and we are evaluating the key evidence, including witness statements. Further details will be revealed in due course,” Hemalatha added.
How could someone this close commit such cruelty, ask neighbours
As people filed past the body of the four-year-old girl many broke into tears — the accused among them. He appeared the most distraught. It took medical evidence and cross-interrogation by the investigating team to reveal his dark side.
“He [the accused] was among the close relatives who echoed the family’s grief. How could anyone suspect his heinous activity?” asked a neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous.
During the public viewing, he kept saying how much the child loved him and how she had been waiting for the chocolate he had brought for her, the neighbour recalled. “Most of the people gathered, including myself, believed they shared a deep bond. We’re now in utter shock. It is hard to believe how someone so close could commit such cruelty,” he added.
Beena, ward councillor and local resident, said, “We have seen him carrying the child around, bringing her chocolates and toys. We used to think how lucky she was to have such loving paternal uncle. Now, those memories haunt me.”
Even during the public viewing, he was seen grieving openly, she said. “Maybe this was all part of a cruel twist of fate. But, if we had even a hint of what was happening, we would have taken steps to protect her, including arranging counselling,” Beena said.
Another neighbour, who also chose to remain anonymous, said, “They are originally from Mattakkuzhi and have lived here for generations. Except the child’s father, the other two brothers are unmarried. Both of them, along with other relatives, showed immense affection for the little girl because of her charming nature. When the child went missing, these two brothers were actively involved in the search. It’s unimaginable that such cruelty came from one of them,” he added.
Speaking about how they narrowed down the accused, an officer with probe team said, “Immediately after registering a zero FIR, we listed nearly all individuals close to the child, including her father, as potential suspects. The team interrogated many people connected to the family and gradually collected evidence that pointed to certain suspicious behaviour. One relative, in particular, stood out.”
During this phase, Ernakulam district police chief M Hemalatha herself interrogated the suspect. “At first, he denied all allegations. But under detailed cross-questioning, he confessed to the crime. We also recovered obscene content from his phone, which confirmed his predatory nature,” the officer said.“We still need more clarity in certain aspects, including whether the mother was aware of the harassment and whether she abetted the accused in any manner,” he added.