Of the total arrests, Pathanamthitta Police Station is handling 11 cases involving 26 accused individuals currently in custody. Elavumthitta Police Station has detained 14 suspects linked to 16 cases, while Pandalam Police Station has two suspects in custody related to one case.
Published Jan 14, 2025 | 11:55 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 14, 2025 | 7:10 PM
The girl is now physically and emotionally stable and has discussed her future educational plans with counsellors. Representational Image.
The number of people arrested in connection with the serial sexual abuse of a minor in Pathanamthitta has increased to 44, with authorities registering 29 additional cases across four police stations in the district, officials said on Tuesday, 14 January.
A total of 16 people are yet to be arrested. Of the total arrests, Pathanamthitta Police Station is handling 11 cases involving 26 accused currently in custody. Elavumthitta Police Station has detained 14 suspects linked to 16 cases, while Pandalam Police Station has two suspects in custody related to one case.
The latest arrests in the Elavumthitta cases include Amal (18), Adarsh (20), Sivakumar (21), Umesh (19), Sreeju (18), Aji (19), Ashwin (21), and Sajin (23).
On Monday, the Pathanamthitta station registered cases leading to the arrests of Abhijit (19), Joji Mathew (25), Ambadi (24) and Aravind (20). Meanwhile, the Pandalam police apprehended two individuals, both named Akash, aged 19 and 22, respectively.
The Dalit girl, an athlete, had been undergoing abuse since she was 13, the incident came to light when she confided the matter in a volunteer of Kudumbashree Mission’s Snehitha initiative during a gender awareness programme in the Pathanamthitta district. The girl, now 18, reportedly said 64 people abused her over the years.
She reportedly said that her tormenters included coaches, fellow sportspersons, and neighbours. Police said siblings, betrothed and married men, and minors were among those arrested.
Pathanamthitta District Superintendent of Police (SP) VG Vinod Kumar stated that 58 individuals have been implicated in the case. Among them, one is reported to be overseas, while another is outside the state.
‘’The girl testified that she had been abused by 62 people. but clear evidence was not available against four of them. All the accused would be arrested.’’ he said.
The survivor’s distressing testimony revealed she had been gang-raped at multiple locations, including the Pathanamthitta General Hospital and other areas within the municipality.
To accelerate the probe, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed by the state government on Sunday. Headed by Pathanamthitta Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Nandakumar, the team will work under the oversight of Vinod Kumar and guidance from Thiruvananthapuram Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ajitha Beegum.
The case was transferred to the DIG following a directive from the National Commission for Women (NCW), emphasising stringent measures.
The SIT consists of 25 officers drawn from various police stations. Key members include Pathanamthitta Inspector D Shibukumar, Elavumthitta Inspector TK Vinod Krishnan, Ranni Inspector Jibu John, and Sub-Inspector KR Shemi Mol from the women’s police station.
Kerala Child Welfare Committee (CWC) member N Sunanda visited the survivor and urged the district’s Child Protection Officer to promptly allocate financial aid for her.
When South First contacted Sunanda, she shared updates on the survivor’s condition.
“The girl is now physically and emotionally stable and has discussed her future educational plans with counsellors. Although her parents are not staying with her, they are allowed to visit her at any time. A financial aid of not less than ₹2 lakh will be released shortly,” she said.
Additionally, the district collector can allocate funds under Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) regulations.
“Psychological counselling services are made available to her twice a week, and counsellors from the District Child Protection Unit will make frequent visits to the shelter home. The child has expressed her gratitude for the system’s extensive support,” Sunanda said.
This revelation came to light during an awareness session organised by the Kudumbashree District Mission. The victim, an athlete, shared her experience during a class on Adolescent Health Education, which was led by the Gender Resource Center at her college in December.
The counsellor was deeply shocked to learn about the trauma the girl had faced.
The girl, who struggled with intense mental stress after discovering that her private video had been shared online by the accused, sought help from the counsellor after class.
She disclosed the horrific ordeal she had endured, leaving the counsellor stunned by the details. The girl’s account, which included the shocking claim that 64 individuals had assaulted her, initially seemed implausible.
Nevertheless, the matter was escalated to the Snehita Gender Help Desk, where a psychologist was brought in. The girl reiterated her painful story of assault, prompting immediate action. The case was then forwarded to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
