Idukki: A probe into the missing case of a plus-two girl from Thankamany in Idukki led to the rescue of two other minors - a boy and a girl - who were drugged and confined to a dark room at Palluruthy in Ernakulam.
A team from the Idukki Police led by Kattappana DySP VA Nishad Mon that led the investigation, arrested six men, suspected to be members of a drug gang.
Thankamany Police Sub-Inspector K M Santhosh said the probe for the missing girl started on the night of June 28. She had been missing since June 26 and a relative of the girl had seen her with some young men at Kattappana. The two minors had gone missing from Cheruthoni in Idukki a week ago.
“The investigation was done by tracing the youths from Kattappana and it led us to Palluruthy near Kochi city,” said Santhosh. “The missing girl along with a minor couple from Cheruthoni and three men were found in a cramped dark room of a house in the Don Bosco Colony at Palluruthy on June 29. They appeared to be under the influence of drugs.”
According to the police, the room they were found in was intentionally kept dark without light bulbs. Graphic images were found on the walls. “Though no ganja or synthetic drugs were recovered from the house or from anyone taken into custody, the conduct of all the persons taken into custody has given enough clues that they had been using drugs,” the police said.
The suspects
According to the student from Thankamany, Thopramkudi-Perumthotti native Alan Mathew, 23, took her to Palluruthy. She said, Aswin Santhosh, 23, from Nedumkandam, had earlier tortured her in his custody. They were remanded by the Judicial Magistrate Court, Kattappana on Friday.
The other men who were arrested are Justin, owner of the house in Palluruthy, where the missing persons were found, his son Spinwin, Karukayil Aromal Shaji, 19, of Churuli and Binesh Gopi, 19, of Paremavu, Idukki.
The police said that the minors who were rescued from Palluruthy were also presented before a magistrate and they will be given counselling.
