In a rare case, a team of Kerala Police sought the help of Interpol (international criminal police organisation) to nab a POCSO case accused from Abu Dhabi.
Navayikkulam-native Febin (26) was taken into custody on the charges of sexual abuse of an eight-year-old girl.
While an Interpol Red Notice is usually issued to bring to justice fugitives in several crimes, including economic offences and murder charges, it is understood that the Kerala Police has seldom sought that option in POCSO (Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences) cases.
"But how can we just let an accused in such a case get away," said Thiruvananthapuram Rural DCRB DySP P Viju Kumar. He headed a three-member team also comprising Pallikkal SHO VK Sreejesh and Crime Branch SI Santosh that arrested Febin from Abu Dhabi.
The police said the incident pertaining to the case occurred in 2018 and while the survivor's family failed to report the crime on time, the accused fled.
"We couldn't record an arrest because the accused wasn't coming back to India. Former Pallikkal CI Sreejith took the initiative to work for the red corner notice," said DySP Viju Kumar.
As the Kerala Police could not directly contact Interpol, the process was enabled through the CBI with the clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Now the accused has been remanded and the trial is awaited.
