The Puthencruze police station in Ernakulam district on Wednesday arrested three persons in connection with the rape of a 75-year-old woman, who was also brutally assaulted. The woman is presently being treated in a hospital at Kolenchery in Ernakulam.
The arrested includes a 66-year-old woman named Omana, in whose house allegedly the rape and assault took place, Omana’s son 46-year-old Manoj and another man named Mohammed Shafi, a 50-year-old, an official told TNM. The accused persons were arrested by the investigation team led by Ernakulam rural police chief K Karthick.
It was on Sunday afternoon, the woman who suffered from memory loss was brutally sexually assaulted in her neighbour’s house. A police official on condition of anonymity told IANS that the charges include rape and brutal assault.
"The arrest has been made and shortly the three will be produced before a court," said the official.
The woman had been promised tobacco to chew and was brought to Omana's house, where the incident took place.
Reportedly, after the assault, the woman was brought back to her own home. She was bleeding and was taken to a nearby hospital. Omana told her neighbours that the elderly lady got injured after slipping and falling down.
Though she was first taken to a nearby hospital, she was quickly moved to the private medical college at Kolenchery and an emergency operation was performed. During the surgery it was revealed that she had suffered deep injuries in her internal organs, including urinary bladder and intestine, the hospital bulletin stated.
Meanwhile, the woman's son has said she had serious wounds inflicted by a sharp object and her private parts also have injuries. He had also told the media that his mother told him that she was assaulted by a man while being at Omana’s house.
Expressing shock over the incident, Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja had come out stating that strong action will be taken against the culprits.
The Minister also said the state government would bear the expenses for the woman's treatment.
Kerala Women's Commission Chairperson M C Josephine, who had visited the woman at the hospital, had written to the government urging it to bear the woman's treatment expenses. The Commission has also registered suo motu proceedings on the issue.
(With PTI inputs)