Aluva: Police have nabbed the man who abducted and raped an eight-year-old girl at Chathapuram.

The accused is Christil Raj from Chenkal in Thiruvananthapuram. Police apprehended him from his hideout under Aluva Marthanda Varma bridge after confirming his identity through CCTV visuals. Visuals revealed that he had tried to flee from police by jumping into the river.

It is learnt that the accused visited a bar near the bridge and the staff there alerted the police after identifying him. Fearing arrest, the accused managed to flee from the bar and took a hideout near thickets under the Marthanda Varma bridge.

Police have confirmed his criminal background. His family told Manorama News that Christil was a drug addict and booked in several criminal cases including robbery and sexual assault.

According to reports, the accused, a habitual offender used a fake name 'Satheesh' to reside in Chathapuram.

He is presently in police custody and being interrogated by the SIT, police said. Raj, who hailed from Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram district, was a suspect in seven criminal cases including theft and sexual assault. He was caught after a wide dragnet in the rural area of Ernakulam, especially around Aluva.

The people told the media that the police have been in the area in plainclothes ever since the incident, looking for the perpetrator. "He was drinking under the bridge and, on seeing the police, jumped into the water to escape. But police and other persons stopped him from escaping and pulled him out of the water," one of the locals said. The suspect appeared drunk, he added. 

The child, the daughter of a migrant couple in Aluva, was abducted from her home while asleep in the wee hours of Thursday. The girl's mother raised an alarm at around 2 am when she noticed that her daughter was missing. A search was launched immediately. Residents found the girl and alerted the police about the incident.

She has been transferred to the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital with injuries. Her condition is stable.

Meanwhile, health minister Veena George has announced a financial aid of Rs 1 lakh will be given to the girl's family from the Women and child development relief fund. The minister added that free treatment will be provided to the child at Ernakulam Government Medical College hospital.