Published Jun 17, 2026 | 9:10 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 17, 2026 | 9:10 AM
Representative Image.
Synopsis: A young woman returning home from work narrowly escaped a terrifying attack after a group of drunken youngsters allegedly stalked and chased her through the night. The dramatic incident unfolded near East Marady in Muvattupuzha.
A young woman returning home from work narrowly escaped a terrifying attack after a group of drunken youngsters allegedly stalked and chased her through the night on the Muvattupuzha–Piravom road in the Ernakulam district of Kerala.
The dramatic incident unfolded around 11.15 pm on Monday, 15 June, near East Marady in Muvattupuzha.
The woman, a native of Pala and an employee at an Ayurveda treatment centre, had locked up the establishment after work and was hurrying to the bus stand to catch the last bus home when her ordeal began.
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According to police, five youngsters who had allegedly been watching the movements of employees at the centre for several days intercepted her on two motorcycles.
The group blocked her path, verbally abused her and attempted to approach her in an intimidating manner. Terrified, the woman ran down the road screaming for help.
A passing motorcyclist, noticing her distress, stopped and attempted to assist. But before they could decide what to do, the gang reportedly closed in on them again.
Just then, a tipper lorry approached. In a desperate bid for safety, the woman flagged down the vehicle in the middle of the road.
According to the police, despite a language barrier, the driver quickly sensed the danger and allowed both the woman and the motorcyclist to climb aboard.
The five-member gang allegedly chased the speeding lorry for nearly 15 kilometres, brandishing weapons, shouting threats and striking the vehicle as it sped through the night. From inside the lorry, the woman alerted the police about the pursuit.
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The chase finally came to an end when the vehicle reached an area where a police team was on patrol. Spotting the officers, the accused attempted to flee.
However, the police launched an immediate operation and later took all five suspects into custody from their homes during the early hours of Tuesday.
The arrested are Ajith (19) of East Marady, Advaith (20) of Meenkunnam, Tommy Shaji (19) of Panchayatupadi, Arjun Sanil (20) and Ashwin Raghu (20) of Mangampram. Police said the group had allegedly consumed alcohol before carrying out the attack.
The accused have been remanded on non-bailable charges, including an attempt to murder and offences related to assaulting and intimidating a woman. The investigation was led by Muvattupuzha Inspector Anil George and his team.
For the young woman, the night could have ended in tragedy, but the timely intervention of a stranger, the courage of a truck driver and swift police action turned a frightening chase into a story of survival.
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
