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In the third major case of stalking and violence against a woman in Kerala, a 39-year old nursing assistant has been attacked and her ear cut off in Thiruvananthapuram. The stalker has been identified as 35-year-old Nithin, an ambulance driver from Kollam in Kerala. Nithin attacked the victim, Pushpa, at 7.10 am on the Old Medical College road in the city, according to the Medical College police.
“Pushpa lives in a hostel near the Medical college hospital where she works as a nursing assistant. She was on her way to work in the morning when the accused used a knife and cut her ear. According to preliminary investigation, the victim’s entire ear was cut,” an officer told TNM.
A morning officer who was returning after his rounds witnessed the incident and immediately took the accused into custody. The victim was rushed to the medical college hospital where she is currently admitted.
An FIR has been lodged and the accused has been booked under Section 307 of the IPC – attempt to murder. Investigations in the case are ongoing and the sections will be updated based on further details.
“The accused had travelled to Thiruvananthapuram as he knew the victim earlier. He had worked as an ambulance driver in Victoria Hospital, Kollam. They were close and he thought that the victim was getting close to others,” the officer stated.
In March 2019, a 20-year-old BSc student at the Tata Institute of Medical Sciences was burnt to death in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta by her 18-year-old stalker Ajin Reji Mathew. The woman was battling for her life for a week before succumbing to burn injuries on March 20.
In the same month, a 22-year-old woman from Chiyyaram in Thrissur was stabbed and burnt to death by her stalker in her house. The stalker identified as Nidheesh barged Into her house at 7 am on April 4 and stabbed her 12 times before setting her on fire. Before the accused could flee, he was caught by passers by and handed over to the police