Missing since 2001, converted to Christianity and became pastor; POCSO accused nabbed in Chennai after two marriages and name change

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A man accused in a POCSO case, who had converted to Christianity, became a pastor, and lived in hiding in Chennai after two marriages, was arrested after 25 years. The accused, 49-year-old Muthukumar from Neeramankara, Thiruvananthapuram, had been on the run after securing bail in a case involving the sexual assault of a 14-year-old Scheduled Caste student. The incident took place in 2001, when the accused was the girl’s tuition teacher.

He had been living under the name Sam in Chennai. Muthukumar avoided using his own mobile phone, instead making calls to relatives from public phone booths and from his second wife’s mobile. He used to send money to his mother and relatives in Tenkasi through the bank CDM machines. The Vanchiyoor police finally managed to arrest him after closely monitoring these activities. The court had issued a long-period warrant against him in 2004.

Recently, Muthukumar had filed a bail plea in the High Court, which led the police to resume their investigation. During his years in hiding, he first married a woman, then abandoned her and married a Christian woman. After that, he changed his name to Sam and started working as a pastor.

Lured girl out of school According to the case, he lured the young girl out of her school in the afternoon, took her to his house, and sexually assaulted her. When the child did not return home that evening, her parents went searching and found her at Muthukumar’s house. He was arrested then but went into hiding three months after securing bail.

During the renewed investigation, police found that money had been sent from CDM machines in Chennai to his relatives’ bank accounts in Tenkasi. They also traced phone calls made from the Ayanavaram area in Chennai. Further tracking revealed that Muthukumar regularly visited a beauty parlour in that area. After a week of surveillance, the police finally arrested him.

The arrest was carried out by a team led by Vanchiyoor SHO Shanif H.S., under the direction of Shanghumugham ACP Rafi, with SI Alex and senior CPOs Ullas and Vishakh.