Befriend girl via Snapchat; Youth arrested for sexually abusing minor, decamps with chain of five sovereigns

MALAPPURAM: A youth has been arrested for snatching a gold chain of five sovereigns from a 14-year-old girl after sexually abusing her. Manoj of Mannarkkad, was arrested by the Valanchery police. The main accused in the case, Ajmal, was earlier in police custody. On July 4, Ajmal befriended the girl through Snapchat. Ajmal took the gold from the girl by deceiving her saying that his father was a gold merchant and that he would make her a chain of new design.

Ajmal and Manoj sexually abused the girl. A case has been registered against the accused under the POCSO Act along with theft. Ajmal made her believe that he would marry her. With this, he also took her nude pictures.

The youth later told the girl that his father was a gold merchant and that if she sends him a picture of the chain, he would make her a new model chain. With this, the girl sent him a picture of a chain. However, the youth told her that it was small and that he would make her a bigger one. She then took her mother's chain and sent him the picture. When the youth said that he wants to see the design of the chain, the girl sent him the location of the house.

When Ajmal reached home, she gave the chain through the window. With that, the accused fled with the chain. He then deleted his Snapchat account and went into hiding. Realizing that she had been cheated, the girl informed her parents and then filed a complaint with the Valancherry police. The accused was arrested by examining the CCTV cameras. The youth was arrested in a similar case last year.