Kalpetta: When a railway police officer spotted a 'boy' standing in a dangerously precarious position at the doorway of a moving train from Kottayam to Thrissur and pulled the youngster to safety, he never imagined he was saving a girl on the verge of taking her own life.

During initial questioning, a harrowing story gradually unfolded, that of an underage girl who preferred to live like a boy. The 17-year-old girl had always wanted to live as a boy, courtesy the hardships and bitter experiences that she and her mother endured since her childhood. She did not hesitate when Sanoj, a neighbour, family friend and a truck driver, offered her a job as a cleaner. For several years, Sanoj and family were close to her family, supporting them and with Sanoj thus earning her trust. That was why, despite relatives protesting, she accepted the offer. 

Always dressed as a boy, the girl's identity was known only to those close to her. To most others, she appeared to be a boy. According to the police, her mother was abandoned by her husband while she was pregnant. The trauma pushed her into depression, a condition she has struggled with throughout her life. 

"From childhood, the girl found confidence in dressing like a boy. She behaved like one and took it upon herself to look after her mother at a very young age. She considered Sanoj a saviour during difficult times and regarded him as an elder brother. Until this incident, there were no complaints or untoward incidents involving him," Meenangadi Station House Officer Santhosh Kumar said.

Sanoj worked for a company that supplied furniture to various parts of the state. No one suspected anything amiss, as the girl frequently accompanied him during his trips and was often with him when he returned home between journeys. The two left Wayanad on June 2 with a furniture consignment for Kottayam, making deliveries at various locations along the route. It was this trip that changed her life. 

The girl revealed to the railway police that Sanoj had attempted to rape her when they were staying at a lodge at Kozhikode. Though she escaped, Sanoj followed her with repeated apologies, after which they resumed travelling. However, when they reached Kottayam, Sanoj again subjected her to sexual assault. She somehow managed to escape and reach the railway station, from where she boarded a train for Thrissur. 

The girl later told railway police that she had planned to end her life by jumping from the moving train, a plan that was thwarted by the alert railway police officer. On being questioned, the girl broke down, revealed her true identity and showed her Aadhaar card. She was subsequently handed over to the Thrissur Railway Police, who arranged a medical examination before transferring her to the Shornur Railway Police. The case was later handed over to the local police for further investigation.

Acting on information from the Shornur police, the Meenangadi police registered a case against Sanoj. Believing the girl had safely reached home, Sanoj, who was unaware of the complaint, returned home on June 10. A team from Meenangadi police, who were waiting, took him into custody. Booked under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, Sanoj was remanded in judicial custody and lodged at Vythiri Sub Jail.