Thiruvananthapuram: Santosh Kumar (39), who was held for allegedly molesting a lady doctor in the museum compound and for attempting to break into a nearby house, was not just a contractual employee of the ministerial staff, it has emerged.
Kumar, arrested by the Peroorkada police the other day and remanded in 15-days judicial custody, was the driver of Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine’s private secretary Gopakumaran Nair. He was dismissed from the job in the wake of the developments.
Earlier, it was projected that Kumar was just a contractual employee with the Kerala Water Authority, however, it has emerged that his was a “political appointment” and that he had worked as the driver of at least a couple of ministerial staff.
“His is a political appointment. My only duty is to give him the wages. I don’t have any other personal details of Kumar,” KWA contractor Shinil Antony told Manorama News. He was earlier the driver of minister K Krishnankutty’s office staff too, Antony added.
The police probe revealed Kumar, who was working as the driver of Gopakumaran Nair for the last one-and-a-half years, used to roam around in the night in a government vehicle without going to his house at Malayinkeezu near here. He travelled in it to reach the places where he had allegedly committed the crimes.
The accused used the Innova car of the KWA bearing a ‘Government of Kerala’ board. A CCTV footage collected by cops found him driving the car aimlessly through the city during the night before the incident, sources said.
Kumar was arrested at the end of a six-day probe when the police examined various CCTV footages and mobile tower locations.
It was during the early hours of October 26 that he allegedly molested the lady doctor. The incident happened at 4.45 am when the victim went for a morning walk in the Museum compound. The investigation found it was Kumar who was also behind the break-in attempts at a house in Kuravankonam on the nights of October 25 and 26.
Meanwhile, another woman has come out with a sexual assault complaint against the accused. According to her, it was Kumar who encroached on her house in December and molested her. She claimed she identified the attacker as Kumar upon watching the TV images showing the cops taking him for evidence collection. Though a case was filed then, none were arrested.
There were, initially, complaints against the police for going slow with the investigation into the Museum incident. However, the lady doctor persisted on, following up on the probe progress with the police daily. It is reported she even helped the police in collecting certain crucial CCTV footage that has turned into crucial evidence in the case.
