Grindr POCSO case: 2 businessmen arrested; 12 of 16 accused now behind bars

Kannur: Two more persons have been arrested in connection with the repeated sexual assaults of a 16-year-old boy by multiple men he met through the LGBTQ dating app Grindr. With this, 12 of the 16 accused are in custody.

Kozhikode's Kasaba Police arrested Abdul Manaf (37), a textile business owner and resident of Kinassery in Kozhikode.

In Kannur, Payyannur Police arrested Prajeesh (40), who manages an optical shop at Perumba. Earlier, Payyannur Police had arrested Gireesh, a small-time civil contractor from Korom. With this, Payyannur Police have arrested the two accused wanted at their station.

Kasaba Police are also investigating two cases. "We are yet to arrest the accused in the second case," said the officer.

In all, four police stations in four districts have registered 16 cases under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Of the 12 persons arrested, nine were arrested by Kasaragod's Chandera Police, two by Payyannur Police, and one by Kasaba Police. Four more accused, including Youth Congress Trikaripur General Secretary Sirajuddin Vadakumpad (46), are on the run.

The boy created an account on Grindr in 2023, when he was 14 years old, by declaring himself as an adult. Since then, he was found and abused by multiple men -- from government employees and entrepreneurs to socio-religious and political leaders.

Those arrested earlier are Sainudeen VK (52), Assistant Education Officer of Bekal sub-district; Chitraraj Eravil (48), a football coach and RPF officer declassified as a Railway clerk after an injury; Kunhahammed Haji (55), a native of Valvakad in Trikaripur and activist of Jamaat-e-Islami, and brother of a firebrand CPM leader in Kasaragod; M Sukesh (30) of Vellachal in Pilicode panchayat; Shijith (36) of Cheemeni panchayat; Rayees (30) of Vadake Kovval in Trikaripur; Ramzan (64) of Padannakkad in Kanhangad town; Narayanan Chambrakanam (60) of Cheemeni; and light & sound owner T Mohammed Afsal (23) of Chandera.

The accused were remanded in judicial custody. The government has suspended the Education official from service, pending departmental inquiry.

This is the first time in Kerala a minor has been sexually assaulted by luring him through a dating app, said Kasaragod District Police Chief BV Vijaya Bharath Reddy. After the case came to light, Grindr suspended the boy's account. Police are now calling for stricter age verification on dating and social networking apps.