Came to Kerala due to poverty, couple to return home after gang-rape of daughter, two more held in Poopara case

IDUKKI: Two more people have been arrested in the gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl, daughter of a migrant couple, at the tea plantation. The Shanthanpara police took into custody Poopara residents who fled to Tamil Nadu after the incident.

Samuel and Arvind Kumar of Poopara and two minors were arrested yesterday. They will be produced in the court today. A friend who was with the girl and another friend are in police custody. Both are natives of West Bengal.

The incident happened around 4.30 pm on Sunday at the tea plantation near the Poopara Beverages outlet. The girl and her friend came here in an auto. The friend had bought liquor from the BEVCO outlet.

The accused came here while the two were talking. They gang-raped the girl after beating and chasing her friend away from there. When the locals came running hearing the girl's screams, the accused escaped from there. The police who reached the spot rushed the girl to Idukki Medical College Hospital. The girl was later produced before the magistrate and her secret statement had been registered.

The girl is a native of West Bengal. Her parents are plantation workers at Khajanapara in Rajakkad. The girl and her family reached Kerala two weeks ago. The couple came to Idukki after leaving her studies due to poverty. The family have now decided to return home after the gang-rape.