Two persons were arrested by the Kazhakuttam police for allegedly raping an elderly woman a week ago.
Those arrested have been identified as Jalastin, alias As Babu, 58, and Paul Rocky, 47, both hailing from Thumba. The accused, who were booked under Section 376 (pertaining to rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), have been remanded in judicial custody after being produced at a local court.
According to Technopark-Kazhakuttam Circle Inspector S. Ajai Kumar, who led the probe in the case, the alleged incident had taken place on June 22 when the accused persons, both fishermen, overpowered the victim while she was taking bath. They were known to the victim and resided in the same locality. The duo is suspected to have been under the influence of liquor at the time of the alleged incident, he said. “The victim, who is unmarried, has been living a lonely life for long and was dependent on others in the locality for various needs. The accused persons exploited the close proximity and violated the victim, who had initially decided against revealing her ordeal to anyone. It was at the insistence of a local activist that she decided to approach the police station, three days after the alleged incident, The alleged perpetrators, who were found to have no criminal antecedents, were subsequently arrested,” Mr. Kumar said.
