A 15-year-old migrant girl was allegedly gang-raped in Pooppara near Santanpara in Kerala's Idukki district on Sunday, May 29. Santhanpara police have arrested six persons, including two minors, in connection with the incident. According to Santhanpara police, the incident occurred on Sunday evening. The girl is the daughter of a migrant couple working at a private cardamom plantation in Santhanpara. The family is from West Bengal.
The arrested are Poopara residents Syaman [alias Samuel] (19), Aravind (22) and two minors. A case was filed under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act against the accused,” said Munnar Deputy SP KR Manoj. Police added that two more persons from West Bengal were brought in for questioning in the case. Two locals, who were part of the gang, and had absconded to Tamil Nadu were brought back and their arrest was recorded on Tuesday morning.
The girl had come with her male friend to Poopara, a small town on the Kumily-Munnar route on Sunday evening. While they were inside a tea plantation, the youths noticed them and allegedly sexually assaulted the girl. The girl and her friend, who is working in a cardamom plantation, came to Poopara to visit the tea plantation.
They came to the town and bought liquor from a beverages shop and her friend consumed the liquor. While the duo was talking at the tea plantation, the men noticed them and attacked the male friend, and later allegedly raped the girl.
Then the male friend screamed for help and the local residents rushed to the spot and provided assistance to them. The accused had fled when the local people reached the spot. The girl filed a complaint with Santhanpara police based on which an FIR (First Information Report) was registered.
Idukki Superintendent of Police, R Karuppaswami said that the rape was confirmed during medical examination of the girl.
Idukki Child Protection Officer M G Geetha said that the district child protection unit officials will visit the house of the girl on Tuesday.