A police team from Pala has apprehended a 43-year-old man from Sharjah who allegedly raped a mentally challenged girl in 2008.
The accused, identified as Yahya Khan, a native of Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram, was taken into custody with the assistance of Interpol.
According to the police, the accused used to sell pots door-to-door and visited a house in Pala for sales. After knowing that the girl with a mental disability was alone in the house, he raped her. Although the Pala police had initially detained him, he managed to flee after securing bail from the court.
To arrest him, a special investigation team was formed under the leadership of the district police chief. During the subsequent search, the police found that he had fled abroad after hiding in Kannur and Malappuram areas.
Based on these findings, district police chief K. Karthick submitted a report to Interpol, declaring Khan an international criminal in January 2024.
Subsequently, Khan was arrested by the police from Sharjah with the help of Interpol. He was flown to Kochi on Saturday and was remanded to judicial custody.
Pala Deputy Police Superintendent Sadan K., Pala Station sub-inspector Binu V. L., and SI Biju Kumar (Interpol Liaison Officer) were also in the investigation team.
