An 18-year-old dalit woman from Pathanamthitta, Kerala, has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by over 60 men over the past five years, since she was 13. On January 10, Thursday two First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed in Elavumthitta. The investigations will be led separately by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Nandakumar and Inspector Vinod Krishnan.
The issue came to light during a counseling session at her educational institution, where she revealed the abuse. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) took up the case and informed the police, leading to the arrest of five men: Subin (24), S. Sandeep (30), VK Vineeth (30), K Anandu (21), and Srini alias S Sudhi Srini (24), all residents of Chenneerkara in Pathanamthitta.
According to the police, Subin, the girl's neighbor, molested her when she was 13, capturing nude photographs. At 16, he sexually assaulted her, recorded explicit videos, and shared them with other accused individuals, who also assaulted her over the subsequent years.
Preliminary investigations have identified at least 60 accused.
The accused face charges under multiple sections, including Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, which prescribes life imprisonment and a fine for non-SC/ST individuals who commit offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) punishable with imprisonment of ten years or more against SC/ST members, knowing the victim's caste.
Additionally, they are charged under IPC Sections 376(2) (aggravated rape), 376(3) (rape of a woman under sixteen years), 376(n) (repeated rape of the same woman), 376(D) (gang rape), and 354A (sexual harassment).
Provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have also been invoked, including Sections 3(a) (penetrative sexual assault), 5(g) (aggravated penetrative sexual assault by a person in a position of trust or authority over the child), 11 (sexual harassment of a child), and 12 (punishment for sexual harassment of a child).
Furthermore, Sections 66E (violation of privacy) and 67B (depicting children in sexually explicit acts) of the Information Technology (IT) Act are applicable.