Kozhikode rural police detained four men on Wednesday, October 20, in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old Dalit girl. According to the police, the teen girl was attacked after one of the accused pretended to be in a relationship with her. The incident came to light after the girl filed a complaint with the police.
Speaking to TNM, officials of the Thottilpallam police in Kozhikode stated that one of the accused identified as 24-year-old Sayuj, pretended to be in a relationship with the teen girl and allegedly took her to a tourist destination under the Kozhikode rural police limits on October 3, where the crime took place.
"As per the girl's statement, Sayuj drugged her by giving her juice that was laced with drugs. He along with three other friends then sexually assaulted her," the police said. According to reports, following the incident, the girl was abandoned on a roadside.
The three other accused are 32-year-old Shibu, 22-year-old Rahul and 22-year-old Akshay. According to the police, though the arrest of the accused men have not been recorded, a case is registered under Indian Penal Code section 376 (Punishment for rape) and other sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. "Further investigation has to be held to reveal more details," the police official added. The arrest will be recorded following further inquiry.
Recently, the sexual assault of another Dalit girl in Kerala made news. The survivor’s family faced ostracisation from the residents in their village after they filed a police complaint. The accused in the case is a worker of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), youth wing of the CPI(M).