Two accused in the accident at Chakkaraparambu here that claimed the lives of two promising models after being allegedly stalked during the early hours of November 1 last year now find themselves in fresh trouble after being booked in another case for allegedly sexually harassing a minor girl and her mother.
A case stands registered against Roy J. Vayalat, the owner of a hotel in Fort Kochi where the accident victims had attended a late-night party and from where they had fled in a hurry before their tragic death, and Syju Thankachan under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The case was registered based on the statements of the mother-daughter duo from north Kerala that they were abused in October last year. The victims on the hunt for a job in Kochi were summoned to the hotel in the company of another woman and were allegedly molested there. The police conducted a preliminary inquiry before registering the case.
The police are also looking into the role of the woman who had reportedly accompanied the victims. The victims were allegedly threatened with dire consequences, including publishing of the abuse videos, for stopping them from lodging a petition. The accused are likely to be summoned for questioning based on which their arrests will be recorded.
It was from the same hotel that Syju had allgedly followed the vehicle carrying the models and their acquaintances in another car on the fateful night in November. The case, initially perceived as an accident, turned controversial, as details emerged and the hard disk from the CCTV digital video recorder (DVR) of the hotel went missing mysteriously leaving the police without access to critical evidence. As it emerged that the hard disks were destroyed, the police arrested Roy and his hotel staff on the charge of suppression of evidence.
Syju was arrested thereafter after the police booked him for stalking and abetting culpable homicide. Later, more cases under the NDPS Act were also registered against him across multiple police station limits in various districts.
