Twelve persons including a non-tribal woman were arrested from Attappady near here late on Thursday night for alleged abduction and gang rape of a minor tribal girl hailing from Muttathukadu near Anaikatty.
According to Attappady Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sujith Das, the 12-year-old girl was taken from her home on Saturday morning by the arrested woman after convincing her grandmother that she was taking her to attend annual festival at famous Mariammantemple at Pudur, a little away from Muttathukadu. The coolie worker parents of the girl were away at their workplaces.
Police said all the arrested were youngsters from the same locality and they sexually abused the girl after taking her to different parts of Attappady. Half of the arrested are college students. A 28-year-old man, who allegedly prompted the woman to take the girl outside her home to sell to different clients for sexual favours, is yet to be arrested. He is reportedly hiding. The arrested woman is accused of part of a local mafia that lures minor girls away for sexual abuse.
Though the parents of the girl had filed a missing complaint with Sholayur police on Monday, no follow up action was taken. It was on Wednesday, the parents approached Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society for justice. It's activists then contacted Attappady BlockPanchayat President Eswary Resan and she took up the case before Mr Sujith Das. On Wednesday, the girl was rescued from four men who were sexually abusing her. The arrested would be produced before a Mannarkkad court on Friday afternoon. The girl has been shifted to a rehabilitation centre in Palakkad with her parents. Police said provisions of POCSO would be invoked against the arrested apart from charges for gang raping a minor.
