The Kochi police have arrested three persons and taken into custody another in connection with the alleged rape of a 75-year-old woman on Sunday. Those in police net include two women.
The condition of the victim, who is mentally unwell according to the police, remains critical at the Kolancherry Medical College Hospital where she was admitted on Sunday night. She was subjected to hours-long surgery on Monday and moved to the surgical ICU immediately thereafter. “A team of doctors comprising a general surgeon, a gynaecologist and a urologist performed the surgery to remove the blood clots in her stomach and address the contusions in her intestine. She also had injuries in her private parts. A call on her condition can be made only after the next 48 to 72 hours,” hospital sources said. Among the suspects are two women, who are sisters, and a son of one of them. According to the police, the main accused raped the victim at the house of the co-accused.
Injuries
The woman was in the habit of wandering and the accused took advantage of that and her mental state. She returned home with injuries, and her daughter filed a police complaint.
Initially, the police registered a case invoking Indian Penal Code sections such as 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and means) 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intention to outrage her modesty).
However, when she was admitted to the hospital, doctors told the police that there were tell-tale signs of a rape. “Following this, we invoked rape charge (IPC 376). Since she belongs to a Scheduled Castes provisions of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will also be invoked,” police sources said.
The police would have to wait for her to come out of the shock and medicine-induced post-surgery sedation to record her statement.
Meanwhile, State Women’s Commission chairperson M.C. Josephine visited the hospital on Tuesday and discussed the condition of the victim with the team of doctors treating her. She, however, could not meet the victim.
State to take over care
Social Justice and Women and Child Development Minister K.K. Shylaja said that the State would take over the protection and cover the treatment expenses of the woman.
Terming the crime shocking and extremely painful, she said stringent action would be taken against the culprits. Services of experts in gynaecology, urology and surgery had been made available to the woman, she added.
