Kochi: In a sequence of events that resembled a midnight chase in a crime thriller, a young woman fleeing a gang of drunken youths escaped by climbing into a multi-axle lorry before making a desperate call to police from inside the vehicle in Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam. The dramatic chase, which stretched across Muvattupuzha and Piravom towns with the attackers chasing the lorry on motorcycles and allegedly striking it with iron rods for over 20 km, ended only after night patrol officers intercepted the lorry, saved the woman and launched an overnight operation that led to the arrest of all five accused.

The accused, all local youths aged between 20 and 21, were later arrested from their homes in Marady near Muvattupuzha by Muvattupuzha Police. 

According to the police, the victim, a native of Pala, works at an Ayurvedic massage centre along Piravom Road in Muvattupuzha, around 20 m to 250 m from Muvattupuzha town.

Late that night, after learning that her young child at home was unwell, she hurriedly wrapped up work and prepared to catch a late-night bus to Pala around 11.30pm.

Police investigations revealed that the five accused had gathered earlier in the evening near a field in Urikunnam, where they spent several hours drinking beer. Around 11 pm, the group rode towards the Piravom Road area on two motorcycles, one of them carrying three riders. None of the youths was wearing a helmet.

The police found that the group parked near the massage centre and remained in the darkness, apparently waiting to see who would emerge from there. Muvattupuzha Police sources said that they believe the accused had gone there with deliberate intentions.

The police said the woman regularly used the route, and investigators believe the group had noticed her movements on previous occasions.

“They waited there for about 10-20 minutes to know if anyone was leaving from there. They intentionally stood there and watched the centre. We suspect they have been tracking the woman who leaves after work around the same time everyday,” a police officer told Onmanorama.

At around 11.30 pm, the woman left the centre and began walking towards the bus stand to board a KSRTC bus home.

According to police, the gang immediately spotted her. The motorcycles began circling around her while the youths repeatedly blocked her path and attempted to corner and harass her on the roadside.

Terrified and alone, the woman turned around and ran back towards the establishment, screaming for help. Her cries were heard by a motorcyclist from Thodupuzha who happened to be passing through the area. The man stopped and asked what had happened, and the woman quickly explained that she was being pursued by a group of men.

However, the situation deteriorated rapidly. As the gang continued closing in, the motorcyclist himself became frightened. To make matters worse, his motorcycle suddenly failed to start. The pair suddenly found themselves trapped on the roadside.

At that crucial moment, a large multi-axle goods lorry carrying a load from Thrissur to Ramamangalam approached the area. Seeing what appeared to be her final chance to escape, the woman desperately signalled the vehicle to stop.

“The driver, a native of West Bengal who spoke only Hindi, could not understand her Malayalam. So the man who came on bike to rescue her intervened and requested to let her in. Realising she was in danger, the driver immediately allowed her into the cabin,” said the police.

Concerned that the Thodupuzha man who had attempted to help her might also be attacked by the youths, the woman urged him to climb aboard as well. The driver drove fast and continued down the highway towards Piravom.

However, the five youths who were on motorcycles chased the heavily loaded lorry. Earlier, when the man and woman boarded the lorry, a couple of heavy iron rods reportedly fell from the cabin onto the road. The police said the gang picked up the tools and continued their pursuit.

As they caught up with the moving vehicle, the youths allegedly began striking the lorry with the iron rods while racing alongside it.

“Inside the cabin, the woman remained terrified as the chase continued across police jurisdictional boundaries. While the pursuit was underway, the woman searched Google for the Muvattupuzha Police Station telephone number and called for help. The station immediately relayed a wireless alert to all available night patrol teams and we also got the alert,” said an officer based at Piravom police station.

As the lorry entered Piravom police limits, a patrol team led by Assistant Sub-Inspector George moved into position. When the vehicle reached a police barricade, it was brought to a halt. Realising police officers were waiting ahead, the attackers abandoned the chase, turned towards the Piravom bus stand area and fled, leaving behind the iron tools. 

However, the police soon received a crucial piece of evidence. Passengers travelling in a car behind the lorry had witnessed the extraordinary chase unfold before them. Seeing the reckless driving and being alarmed by the sight of motorcyclists attacking the lorry vehicle with iron rods, they recorded the incident on video.  

“The footage captured the registration number of one of the motorcycles involved. We transferred those details to Muvattupzha police. Using those details, police traced the vehicles to a registered owner in Maradi and quickly identified the suspects,” said police sources.

Victims still in shock
Piravom Police Inspector Mahesh, who rushed to the scene after being alerted by his team, later described the condition of those rescued. “The woman was severely traumatised and remained in a state of panic after the ordeal. The Thodupuzha man who attempted to help her was also deeply shaken by how quickly the situation escalated,” he said.

After recording statements and verifying the sequence of events, police allowed the West Bengal native to continue his journey later that night, noting that his account matched the evidence gathered during the investigation.

Using the motorcycle registration details and mobile-phone tracking data, a team led by Muvattupuzha Inspector Anil George launched raids at the homes of the accused early the following morning. All five suspects were arrested without resistance. The police said the victim positively identified the accused during the investigation.

Given the aggressive pursuit and the alleged use of iron tools during the attack, police have invoked several serious non-bailable charges.

“We have charged them for outraging the modesty of the woman, attempting to murder etc. They will be produced before court and are expected to be remanded to judicial custody,” said police sources.