District Police Chief (Kozhikode city) A.V. George has placed under suspension an Additional Sub Inspector and a Civil Police Officer from the Chevayur police station following a department-level investigation conducted into the incident in which one of the two youths earlier arrested in connection with a sexual assault case managed to escape from police custody.
The action was taken based on an internal investigation report submitted by Assistant Commissioner (Special Branch) A. Umesh. The report found that the two officials, who were on duty at the time of the incident, failed to adopt proper security measures to prevent the incident.
It was on Saturday that the two youths, Febin Rafi, 26, and Tom Thomas, 26, were arrested on the charge of sexually abusing two of the six girls who recently went missing from the Government Children’s Home. However, Febin Rafi escaped from the station by evening when the police officers were preparing to take him to the court. It took nearly two hours to track him from Vellimadukunnu.
Alleging laxity on the part of the police, a few Indian National Congress workers had taken out a protest march in the city. There were also stormy scenes when a group of Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers came out in support of the police for their quick action to track the accused. The inquiry was launched after the issue drew the attention of police higher-ups.
Separate probe
Police sources said a separate inquiry was also under way into the fresh claims of the rescued girls that they were not sexually abused by anyone. According to the latest statement of the girls who spoke to the media on Sunday, two youths who were arrested by the police in connection with the incident had no involvement in the sexual assault case. They had also argued that nobody was willing to listen to their version of the incident.
It was on January 26 that the six girls were found missing from the Children’s Home. According to police sources, the girls wanted to meet their secret friend in Bengaluru, and managed to come out of the government facility when the authorities were busy with the Republic Day celebrations. They were tracked in just two days and brought back to the city on August 28. Social Justice Department officials said further actions for the rehabilitation of the rescued girls would be finalised by the Child Welfare Committee within a couple of days.
