The Chevayur police on Saturday arrested two youths on the charges of sexually assaulting two of the six minor girls who recently went missing from the Government Children’s Home and later tracked from Bengaluru and Nilambur.
The suspects, Febin Rafi of Kodungallur and Tom Thomas of Kollam, were booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to police sources, the youths allegedly tried to assault the girls when they reached Bengaluru by train. The incident came to light when the police quizzed the six girls after they were brought back to the city. The girls in their statement claimed that they were attacked when they tried to seek the youths help to arrange an accommodation in Bengaluru.
Some of the girls claimed that they were forced to consume alcohol. Based on the victim’s revelations, the youths were also charged under various other sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.
To verify the girls’ claims, the police have launched a separate investigation by accessing the call detail records of the arrested. The main purpose of the probe is to check whether the arrested and the girls had maintained any close relationship to plan the escape. The investigation will also check whether they had got any external support to quickly reach Bengaluru.
It was on January 26 that the six girls escaped from the Government Children’s Home to meet their secret friends in Bengaluru. According to police sources, the girls managed to come out of the government facility when the authorities were busy with the Republic Day celebrations. Following an intensive search, all of them were tracked in just two days and brought back to the city on Friday.
Bid to escape foiled
Meanwhile, the Chevayur police on Saturday foiled the attempt of one arrested youth to escape from their custody. Febin reportedly made the try while he was taken to the court after a medical check-up in the evening. He was detained in just two hours from Vellimadukunnu. The youth was reportedly upset after he was charged for various non-bailable offences.
