A 15-year-old girl, who is the daughter of migrant workers from Rajasthan, has gone missing in Kerala’s Kollam district. The minor went missing from her house in Oachira’s Valiyakulangara area at 10:30 pm on Monday. A four-member gang is suspected to entered her house and taken the girl away, police confirmed.
The Ochira police have registered cases against Mohammed Roshan (19) and Vipin Paykuzhya, who are natives of Valyakulangara in Oachira, Pyari, a native of Payikkuzhi; and Ajayan, a native of Vallikavu. Roshan is the son of CPI Branch Secretary Navas, who has in turn told the media that his son should be punished if he had committed a crime.
“Based on the information we received, the minor close to 19-year-old named Roshan. The three others are his accomplices. We are not sure of the circumstances that lead to the kidnapping. The group has been missing since Monday and we hear that they fled to a neighbouring state from Ernakulam,” Sub Inspector of Oachira police station told TNM.
According to reports, the minor girl is the eldest of seven children of the couple, who are from Pulliyal, Rajasthan. The family, who are potters by profession and have been residents of Oachira for the past two years, have alleged that they were being harassed by the four suspects for a long time now.
An FIR was registered after the minor’s parents filed a complaint with the police. According to reports, the gang of broke into the house and took the girl away after beating up her father.
“A case has been registered under sections 457 (Lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 323, 324 ((Voluntarily causing hurt), 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC,” an officer from the Oachira police station confirmed. A POCSO case has not been filed though the girl is a minor and the accused youth is above 18 years of age.
Speaking to TNM, SI of Oachira also said that the police could not trace the minor as their phones have now been switched off, thanks to reports on local newspapers.
“Several Malayalam newspapers reported that the gang had reached Bangalore and that the police were tracking their mobile phones. Now we are unable to track their phones as they are switched off,” he said.
Two persons, who are suspected to have helped in the abduction by providing a rented car to the gang, have already been taken into custody, reports state.