Kochi police to issue lookout notice for Kaloor attack accused; prime suspect linked to sex racket

Kochi: With the prime accused Akbar Ali in the Kaloor women assault case still on the run, police are set to issue a lookout notice against him. The police have intensified efforts to trace him and his associates including two other women accused in the case. Investigators have meanwhile linked Ali to an illegal prostitution racket for which he was booked under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act last year, leading to a raid at a lodging facility allegedly operated by him in the city.

Police sources said Ali was previously arrested in connection with an illegal prostitution network and had been booked under the ITPA in 2025 for allegedly operating a brothel under the jurisdiction of the Kadavanthra police station.

Confirming the accused's criminal background, a senior police officer said Ali had a history of anti-social activities and prior criminal cases. As part of the ongoing investigation into the assault case, a police team raided a lodging facility operated by Ali on Kaloor Puthiya Road. However, officers found the establishment shut when they arrived.

While Ali and seven other accused, including two women, remain absconding, police sources said their movements had been tracked and efforts were underway to arrest them at the earliest. The police suspect that Ali used his lodging and hotel business as a front for illegal activities, including commercial sex operations.

According to police intelligence, the network allegedly extended beyond Kerala and involved women brought from Tamil Nadu as well as several North Indian states.

Confirming the raid, a police officer with the city police said the operation was carried out because of the accused's suspicious background and alleged criminal links.

“It was working until the day before yesterday. When we conducted the raid, it was closed. It seems when this case happened, they closed everything down and went into hiding,” he said.

The police are also examining possible links between the accused and drug trafficking activities. The officer's remarks come amid concerns raised earlier by Kochi City Police Deputy Commissioner KS Shahansha about the “disturbing” business background of the prime accused.

Meanwhile, three employees of Ali's hotel, who were arrested yesterday, have been remanded to judicial custody. The arrested persons have been identified as Alvin, a native of Edappal in Malappuram, Arun and Sabith, both natives of Mannarkkad in Palakkad. 

The police said an identification parade would be conducted once the remaining accused are taken into custody. The police had earlier tracked Ali's movements up to Palakkad before he switched off his phone and disappeared.

The assault took place around 4.30 am on Chakkalapadam Road in Kaloor. The victims, young women from Palakkad and Kozhikode districts, are roommates who live in the area while preparing for Railway Recruitment Board examinations.

According to police, the women were returning to their hostel after having tea when the group arrived at the location. Members of the group allegedly began making lewd gestures and sexually coloured remarks at them.

The victims told police that the two women in the group initially instigated the confrontation. When the students challenged the harassment and attempted to record the incident on a mobile phone, the situation turned violent and attacked them. 

Residents cite long-standing concerns

The incident has sparked outrage among residents of Chakkalapadam Road, a densely populated residential area that houses several student hostels and paying-guest accommodations.

Locals said they had repeatedly raised concerns about anti-social activities and the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the neighbourhood. In a reflection of growing frustration among residents, posters had earlier appeared in the area warning miscreants against drug-related activities and public nuisance.