Kerala Man Enters House Asking for Water, Rapes Minor Girl Inside

Kanjirapally police on Saturday arrested a Kerala man who sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl.

A file photo of a protest against rape. Image used for representational purpose. 

(Photo: Reuters)

Kanjirapally police on Saturday, 7 December, arrested the 22-year-old Kerala man accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl who was alone in her house.

The crime happened at Kanjirapally in Kottayam district on Thursday. Twenty-two-year-old Arun Suresh, a resident of the same area, absconded following the incident and was nabbed by police.

According to officials of Kanjirapally police station, the man reached the girl’s house on Thursday evening asking for water, barged in, and when he realised she was alone in the house, sexually assaulted her.

As per reports, the girl had returned home from school. At around 4:30 pm, the accused knocked on the girl’s door. Introducing himself as her brother’s friend, the man asked her if she could give him some water to drink.

The accused then barged into the house and allegedly sexually assaulted her.

“But he is not actually any close friend of her brother. He used to often come to a nearby ground to play. The family does not have any close relationship with him, they have only seen him coming to the place to play,” an official of Kanjirapally police station told TNM.

When the incident happened, her parents were away at work while her brother also was not at home.

Charged With Section 376 (Punishment For Rape)

The accused is presently in police custody and as per officials, his arrest will be recorded soon. He has been charged with section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code, and sections 3 (penetrative sexual assault) and 4 (punishment for penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The girl, who was hospitalised following the incident, has now been discharged. “We are presently questioning the accused for further details, more sections will be charged if necessary and his arrest will be recorded soon,” said the police official.

(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute and has been republished with permission)