Some disturbing incidents in Thrissur, Kerala, in which a woman who had gone to a lodge where a male friend was staying with her husband was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted by men posing as police officers. Police have arrested five people, including the wife of the woman's male friend, and they say she ordered the attack after her husband’s mobile phone location was traced.
Police and media reports suggest that on 22 September the woman and her male friend, both Tamil Nadu natives, traveled to Thrissur and stayed in a lodge near the KSRTC bus stand. Their wife had objected to the relationship and once she found out where they were, tracked her husband’s mobile phone and passed the location to a group of men. Police believe the attack was conducted as a planned assault allegedly carried out by the wife.
The group came to the lodge in cars and posed as police officers, investigators said. They said they believed the couple was involved in a drug-related matter before entering the room and taking control of the two victims. The man and the woman were bound up and gagged and taken away from the lodge.
The male victim was assaulted on the journey to Tamil Nadu, police said. He suffered severe injuries including fractures to his arms and legs, and was abandoned near a hospital in Tiruppur. The woman was moved to another vehicle and sexually assaulted by members of the group, according to police. Some reports differ on the location where the sexual assault took place, but police have said that she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted.
The case was initially brought to Tamil Nadu Police after information from the survivor. The investigation was then transferred to Thrissur City Police, who formed a special team to track those involved. The investigators arrested one suspect near Cochin International Airport and, based on the information gathered during the investigation, the other accused persons were arrested in various places in Tamil Nadu.
On Thursday, police confirmed the arrest of five accused, including the man's wife. The five accused were Devi, Thomas Priyadarshan Deva, Raghupathi Raja, Shankar and Balraj, Onmanorama said. Police are investigating the alleged involvement of each person and the circumstances surrounding the planning and execution of the attack.
The case has also been linked to mobile phone location tracking in the planning of the crime as well as the impersonation of police officers to get into the lodge room. Police are still investigating, and more details will be revealed as questioning of the arrested accused continues.
The allegations are still under criminal investigation and judicial process. The identity of the survivor has not been disclosed in line with legal protections for sexual offences.
