Kannur: The police on Wednesday arrested five persons in connection with the detention and rape of a 16-year-old SSLC student in a lodge at Parassinikkadavu last month.
Eight others, including DYFI leader of Anthoor, Nikhil Thaliyil, and father of the girl, are in police custody.
The arrested are Mattool K.V. Sandeep, Kurumathoor Chorokkala C.P. Shamsuddeen, Parappayi V.C. Shabeer, Naduvil K.V. Ayoob and Arimbra K. Pavithran.
According to Taliparamba DySP K.V. Venugopal, the girl was raped by the first four at the lodge on November 13 and 19 while Pavithran, lodge manager, facilitated the crime.
The girl had come to meet a youth, whom she had befriended through Facebook, at Parassinikkadavu. When she reached there, a gang which came in a car, received her and took her to the lodge, where she was assaulted.
According to the statement of the girl, she was raped by 20 people at various spots in the district. The incident came to light when her mother and uncle complained to the women’s cell of the police that she was not obeying her parents and was unwilling to go to school.
They said she was afraid of somebody. The sexual abuse came to light when the police conducted a prolonged counselling of the girl. She also gave the hints about the 20 persons who raped her. A relative had abused her earlier.
Though she said earlier that a woman named Anjana had got acquainted with her on Facebook, who later introduced her brother to the girl, the police found that there was no such woman.
The case which was first registered at the women’s police cell was later handed over to the Taliparamba police. All the key accused were identified and nabbed by the police with the help of cyber cell. The accused will be produced in the court on Thursday. Sections of PoCSO Act also have been slapped against them.
