Kasaragod: An Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and Muliyar grama panchayat member S M Muhammed Kunhi (58) -- charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old schoolboy -- was arrested on Tuesday, said Adhur police.
Kunhi's accomplice Thaiseer, who is charged with giving narcotic drugs to the boy and then sexually assaulting him, was arrested 10 days ago, said Adhur station house officer - inspector Anil Kumar A.
Based on the boy's complaints, the police registered two FIRs against Kunhi and Thaiseer on May 22. Soon after the cases were registered, the IUML removed Kunhi from the post of president of IUML's Muliyar Grama Panchayat Committee. He was relieved from the responsibilities of other frontal organisations of the IUML.
But Kunhi went into hiding and later moved the High Court of Kerala seeking anticipatory bail. The court on June 6 ordered Kunhi to appear before the investigating officer within seven days. "Today was the seventh day and he turned up at the police station," said the officer on Tuesday.
According to the complaints, Kunhi kidnapped the boy, took him to a crusher near his house, and sexually assaulted him on April 11. The boy told police that Thaiseer gave him MDMA, a party drug, and had sexually assaulted him before. Later, Thaiseer handed over the boy to Kunhi.
Kunhi is charged with kidnapping (section 363 of the Indian Penal Code), sexual assault (section 377 of IPC), trafficking of a minor [section 370 (4) of IPC], and Sections 3 (a) and 4 (1) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. If convicted, he faces a prison term of life but not less than 10 years.
Thaiseer has been charged with the same sections and also Section 77 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, for giving a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance to a child.
