POCSO court finds Hassan Kutty guilty in Pettah child abduction and rape case
The incident happened in February 2024 when the two-year-old daughter of a nomadic couple was allegedly kidnapped and raped by the accused.
The incident happened in February 2024 when the two-year-old daughter of a nomadic couple was allegedly kidnapped and raped by the accused.
The incident happened in February 2024 when the two-year-old daughter of a nomadic couple was allegedly kidnapped and raped by the accused.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Additional District and Sessions Court (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences – POCSO) on Saturday found 45-year-old Hassan Kutty guilty in the Pettah child abduction and rape case. The verdict was delivered by Judge Shibu MP. The sentence will be pronounced on October 3.
The incident happened in February 2024 when the two-year-old daughter of a nomadic couple was allegedly kidnapped and raped by the accused. A serial offender, he had been accused in a POCSO case earlier.
The child was sleeping with her parents in a tent by the roadside in Chackai when Hassan Kutty kidnapped her. The incident triggered an extensive search operation by the police, and after over 19 hours, the child was found abandoned in a drain, around six feet deep, 500 metres away from where she was kidnapped.
The child's parents had come to Kerala to sell honey. A DNA test was conducted to verify her parentage. Police had intervened and shifted the child to a shelter run by the Child Welfare Committee.
Hassankutty was held from Chinnakkada two days later. The police said following his arrest that he attempted to sexually assault the child by gagging her; however, he left her in the drain when she fell unconscious. Medical examination revealed that the child had been sexually abused. During the trial, 41 witnesses were heard, 62 documents were presented, and the prosecution provided 11 pieces of evidence. Public Prosecutor Kattaikonam Ajith Prasad and Advocate Bindu V C appeared for the prosecution.