The Central police have issued a lookout notice and a circular against a man accused of raping a woman at an apartment in the city for nearly a month earlier this year.
The accused, Martin Joseph, 27, hailing from Thrissur and settled in the city, remains absconding. While the lookout circular is aimed at stopping him from fleeing the State through airports, the notice advertises him as an accused in the case.
The police said that the accused and the victim had been in a live-in relation for over a year before the former allegedly turned abusive in February this year. The victim hailing from Kannur and settled in Ernakulam as part of work, managed to flee the rented apartment when the accused had gone to fetch food one day.
The accused had also usurped ₹5 lakh from the woman allegedly for investing in the stock market.
The woman lodged a police petition only on April 8, a month after she had escaped from the alleged torturous life.
The police have registered a case invoking IPC Sections 376 (rape), 344 (wrongful confinement for 10 days or more), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means or weapons), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property).
Bail plea adjourned
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday adjourned till June 11 the hearing on an anticipatory bail petition filed by Martin Joseph.
In his petition, the petitioner said that suppressing her marital status, the woman had induced him into a live-in relationship. When the relationship got strained, the woman lodged a complaint with the police alleging rape, illegal detention and physical assault. In fact, he was taking care of her financial needs and had even paid her a lumpsum amount for pursuing a beautician course in Bangalore. They decided to part ways amicably after the intervention of their friends. However, she filed a complaint with the police for reasons best known to her. The allegations against him were false, the petition said.
