KOZHIKODE: One of the youths who escaped while in police custody in connection with the case of attempting to abuse girls, who went missing from Vellimadukunnu Children's Home, has been caught. Fabin Rafi (26), a resident of Kodungallur, Thrissur, escaped from the Chevayur police station earlier on Saturday. Following this, the police conducted an extensive search and arrested the accused from the premises of Law College. Fabian escaped through the back of the police station. He took the opportunity given by the police to change his clothes and escaped. Tom Thomas (26), a native of Kollam, who was arrested along with him, is still in police custody.

The arrest was based on the statements of the girls that there was an attempt to abuse them by giving them alcohol. A case was registered under the Juvenile Justice Act and POCSO. Meanwhile, the Kozhikode Judicial First Class Magistrate Court recorded the girls' confidential statements. The statements of five of them were recorded in person and statement of one girl was recorded via video conference as she had tested positive for Covid.

The girls went missing from a children's home on Wednesday. Six of them were later found. The youths found from Bangalore were brought to Kozhikode this morning.