The city police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged sexual abuse of a mother and daughter by the accused including the two who were also booked in connection with an accident, leading to the death of two models at Chakkaraparambu last November.
Syju Thankachan and Roy Vayalat, the owner of No 18 hotel in Fort Kochi where the models had attended a late-night party and from where they were allegedly stalked by Syju before they met the fateful accident, had been booked by the Fort Kochi police invoking, among other sections, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly sexually abusing a mother-daughter duo. Anjali Vadakkepurakal, a woman who allegedly brought the victims to the hotel, was also an accused.
Biji George, Assistant Commissioner of Police, District Crime Branch, will head the SIT. Inspectors of Fort Kochi and metro police stations will be members of the team.
“We have already collected the statement of Syju while Roy had asked for an exemption on medical grounds,” said T.U. Kuriakose, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Kochi City. While he claimed that Anjali could not be tracked down, the fact remains that she was very active on social media and had even spoken to some television channels. When pointed out that she had allegedly revealed the name of the minor involved in the case, Mr. Kuriakose said that charges under the POCSO Act will be invoked against her in that event.
He said that there was no delay in the arrest of the accused but that the police were merely complying with the High Court direction not to arrest them till their anticipatory bail pleas were considered.
Mr. Kuriakose said that the charge sheet in the accident case will be filed shortly after completing the formalities. The family of Ansi Kabeer, one of the victims of the accident, has called for a CBI probe into the accident in the wake of the latest charges against the accused.
