Migrant worker accuses Kozhikode man of molestation attempt, fake theft case, mob assault

Kozhikode: A 19-year-old migrant worker from Assam was allegedly brutally assaulted by a group of people, including two policemen, after being falsely accused of theft in Koodaranhi, Kozhikode district, on Wednesday. 

The victim, Mominul Islam (19), son of Ashrab Ali from Karattari village in Kokrajhar district, Assam, is undergoing treatment at a private medical college hospital in Mukkom.

According to his brother, who was also allegedly beaten when he tried to intervene, the assault followed a fabricated theft allegation. The siblings told the media that Saji Paulose, a native of Koodaranhi here had attempted to sexually assault Mominul. When Mominul escaped from the house, Saji allegedly spread a false claim that the youth had stolen a gold chain.

Following the incident, Thiruvambadi police registered a case against Saji Paulose and 10 others. The charges include sections 126(2), 115(2), 329(4), 189(2), 191(2), and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Sub-Inspector Remya EK has been assigned to investigate the case.

According to the complaint, the alleged attempted sexual assault occurred on Wednesday afternoon. Saji had reportedly called Mominul to his house for daily wage work. After the work was completed, Saji allegedly asked Mominul to massage his leg, claiming muscle cramps, and then attempted to molest him. When Mominul fled, Saji allegedly concocted the theft story and led a group, including policemen, to the workers’ quarters, where Mominul and his brother were physically assaulted.

Mominul and his brother reiterated to the media that two police officers also attacked them without verifying the facts. One of their co-workers corroborated this claim.

A crowd soon gathered near the migrant workers’ camp at the Kunnel building in Koodaranji after CCTV footage showing Mominul running away from Saji’s house went viral on social media, accompanied by claims that he was a thief.

However, the Thiruvambadi police denied the allegations that officers participated in the assault, stating that no such complaint had been officially received.