Two of the accused in the serial sexual abuse of a minor girl in Pathanamthitta have gone abroad, and one accused is on the run, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the assembly in a reply to a question on Thursday. The special investigation team (SIT) has recorded 31 cases: 30 in Pathanamthitta and 1 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Of the 59 accused, the police have arrested 56 people, which include 7 minors. Pinarayi Vijayan said that the special probe teams function under three DySPs in Pathanamthitta and a DySP in Varkala.

The case came to light after the survivor opened up about the sexual abuse stretching over five years to a community counsellor, who in turn alerted the Child Welfare Committee, Pathanamthitta. CWC counsellor and psychologist sat with the survivor through multiple sessions before a report was finalised, according to CWC Pathanamthitta chairman N Rajeev.

An additional report was also submitted to the district police chief, Pathanamthitta. During the counselling sessions, it was known that the accused contacted her via her father's mobile phone, mostly at night. The survivor had stored the names of the accused and their contact numbers on her father's mobile phone.

The suspects mostly include her batchmates, friends and residents of the colony where the survivor resides. Thiruvananthapuram Range DIG S Ajeetha Beegum is heading the probe.