Wayanad Police nab POCSO accused who fled to Odisha
A man accused of sexual assault under POCSO and SC/ST Acts was arrested after absconding. He allegedly lured a minor, committed assault at multiple locations, and had links to drug networks.
A man accused of sexual assault under POCSO and SC/ST Acts was arrested after absconding. He allegedly lured a minor, committed assault at multiple locations, and had links to drug networks.
A man accused of sexual assault under POCSO and SC/ST Acts was arrested after absconding. He allegedly lured a minor, committed assault at multiple locations, and had links to drug networks.
A man who had been absconding in a case involving the alleged sexual assault of a tribal minor girl under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was arrested by a special police team from Olavakkode near Palakkad.
The accused has been identified as M Jaleel (35) of Mammaran House in Moorkhanad, Vengad, Malappuram.
Jaleel was arrested following a prolonged investigation by the Special Mobile Squad (SMS) of the Wayanad Police, headed by DySP Shaju Joseph.
According to police, Jaleel fled to Odisha via Andhra Pradesh after learning that police were searching for him and that his arrest was imminent. He was arrested from Olavakkode while returning to Odisha after visiting Kochi, police said.
Police alleged that Jaleel had lured the girl with false promises and sexually assaulted her at a resort in Padinjarathara, Wayanad, and at a hotel in Mysuru, Karnataka.
The case was initially registered by the Padinjarathara police and was later handed over to the SMS wing, which was specially constituted to investigate cases involving atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
During the investigation, police also found that Jaleel had links with interstate drug networks operating in Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Mumbai and Mangaluru.
Police said Jaleel had previously been arrested by the Karnataka Police while transporting 85 kg of ganja. He is facing proceedings in connection with that case before a Sessions Court in Mysuru.
In Kerala, he is also facing proceedings in five drug-related cases, according to police.
The police team that arrested Jaleel included Sub-Inspector Antony, Additional Sub-Inspectors Biju Varghese, Binu and Baiju S, Senior Civil Police Officers Shalu Francis and Gio Thomas, and DySP Shaju Joseph.