The Thiruvalla police on Monday arrested another accused in the case in which a six-member gang sexually assaulted a woman staff member at an ayurvedic spa in Manjadi. The accused has been identified as Varun, a native of Niranam. "He was taken into custody around 2 am," an officer told Onmanorama.

According to the police, the gang barged into the spa, threatened the woman staff member and assaulted her after she refused to pay ₹50,000 demanded as extortion money. She was dragged into a room and sexually assaulted at knifepoint. The accused allegedly recorded the assault on a mobile phone before fleeing the premises, also snatching ₹2,500 from another staff member.

Earlier, the police had arrested Subin Alexander Chacko (29), alias' Maranam Subin', of Pappanavelil in Kuttapuzha, and Berlin Das (38) of Muppiriyil in Thiruvalla. With Varun's arrest, three of the remaining accused are still absconding.

Meanwhile, the owner of the spa in Thiruvalla has alleged that the move was motivated by competitors' bid against his business.