Kochi: In a major breakthrough in the case related to the assault and robbery of a young woman in Kalamassery last week, Kochi City police have arrested the accused, revealing that the primary motive behind the attack was to sexually assault the survivor.

The accused was taken into custody on Sunday from Agali in Palakkad, and the stolen mobile phone was recovered from him. However, the police have not revealed the identity of the accused, citing that the identification parade in the presence of the victim is yet to be conducted.

The incident pertaining to the case took place on the night of March 15, when the 23-year-old woman, a native of Kannur, was returning to her residence after finishing work at a shop near HMT Junction. She was attacked around 8.15 pm under the railway overpass at HMT Junction.

According to the police, the accused had reached the spot on a two-wheeler after consuming alcohol with friends in Pathadipalam, where he encountered the woman walking alone.

According to the police, the accused targeted the woman with the intent to sexually assault her. He assaulted her brutally, and when she tried to resist, he robbed her and fled the scene. Kochi City DCP Shahansha KS said the nature of the crime became clear only after recording the survivor’s detailed statement.

“As per the initial statement, we considered it a robbery. But the in-depth details of the incident were revealed after collecting the detailed statement of the survivor,” said Shahansha during a press meet in Kochi.

He added that the accused was a temporary worker with the KSEB. A special investigation team comprising 10 police personnel was formed to track him down. As part of the probe, police examined footage from over 200 CCTV cameras across three districts and verified thousands of call data records to identify and locate the suspect.

The police said the accused had previously worked at a car showroom in Ernakulam between 2022 and 2025 and was familiar with the city’s road network, which aided his movements.

He was arrested from his residence at Agali, and police recovered the two-wheeler used in the crime. The police will seek his custody to recover a stolen gold necklace and an earring. During detailed interrogation, the accused admitted to the crime, sources said.

The accused was produced before a court with his face covered in a black hood, as the identification parade is pending.

The police said the assailant brutally attacked her, allegedly slamming her head against a rock, hitting her with stones, kicking her to the ground, and rubbing her face on the ground.

Shahansha also pointed out that crimes occurring near railway lines have come under police scrutiny, citing recent incidents, including a murder in Vyttila and the recovery of a body in the city.

“We are examining how to make such black spots linked to the railway safer,” he said.