Kollam: A 52-year-old man was arrested for allegedly assaulting his 19-year-old neighbour, a degree student, following a dispute over the installation of CCTV cameras at her house in Pathanapuram.

The arrested accused has been identified as Sunil Kumar, while his son Mithun, who is also named in the case, is absconding.

The incident occurred around 10.30 am on Friday at a residential colony in Shalepuram, 26th Mile, in Pathanapuram. According to the police, the two families had been involved in frequent disputes, including disagreements over the property boundary.

The survivor, Hanna Philip, and her family had recently decided to install CCTV cameras on their premises after allegedly facing repeated disturbances from Sunil Kumar and his family.

CCTV footage of the incident, shared by Hanna, purportedly shows Sunil Kumar, Mithun and Sunil Kumar's wife, Jalajakshi, entering the property and forcibly dragging the teenager out of the house, causing her to fall in the courtyard.

"We have spoken to neighbours as part of the investigation. They told us that Sunil Kumar and his family had allegedly created similar issues with other residents as well and were known for regularly picking quarrels," a Pathanapuram police officer said.

According to the police, Sunil Kumar worked intermittently as a home nurse, while Mithun was employed at a local shop.

Hanna, who lives with her mother and grandmother, sustained minor injuries in the assault.

Police said efforts are underway to trace Mithun. Sunil Kumar will be produced before a local court on Saturday and is expected to be remanded in judicial custody.

The accused have been booked under Sections 332(c) (house trespass), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 74 (assault or criminal force against a woman), 3(5) (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), and 296(b) (obscene acts or words causing annoyance in a public place), where applicable, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).