Bigger crime than Suryanelli rape case; 58 accused in Pathanamthitta rape case identified, one abroad

PATHANAMTHITTA: District police chief VG Vinod Kumar said that there are 58 accused in the case of the rape of the Dalit girl who is a sportsperson. All the accused in the case have been identified. The incident in Pathanamthitta is bigger than the Suryanelli rape case in which 42 people were accused. So far 29 cases have been registered in Pathanamthitta, Elavumthitta, Malayalapuzha and Pandalam police stations. A total of 43 accused have been arrested in the molestation case so far.

One of the accused is abroad. The investigation team informed that he would be brought back to Kerala. The arrest of those in custody will be recorded today. The police also found that the girl was gang-raped five times. The intervention of P Deepu, a native of Mandirampadi, Ranni, who was arrested on Saturday, is what led to the two gang rapes that took place a year ago.

There are also people who have threatened and abused the girl by filming her nude photos. The conversation between the accused and the girl was through the mobile phone of her father, who did not know how to use a smartphone. The police have also found that the girl's phone number and nude pictures were widely circulated. The police say that the child was abused even at the General Hospital in Pathanamthitta.

The girl was molested for the first time at the age of 13. The child is now 18 years old. The incident came to light through the girl's disclosure before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) a few days ago. CWC got the information of 62 people through counselling. Apart from POCSO, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act has also been charged against the accused.