Pathanamthitta: The serial sexual abuse case involving a minor girl in Pathanamthitta has led to the arrest of 28 individuals as of Sunday. According to an official statement from the District Police Chief, nine additional FIRs were filed at Elavumthitta police station and one more at Pathanamthitta based on the survivor's statements. Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been appointed to probe the incident.

So far, seven cases have been registered at the Pathanamthitta police station, resulting in 22 arrests, including four minors. At Elavumthitta, six individuals have been apprehended. The crime came to light after the survivor, now 18, disclosed her ordeal to a community counsellor associated with a Kudumbashree initiative. 

On Saturday evening, Pathanamthitta police detained six suspects -P Deepu (22), Anandu Pradeep (24), Aravind (23), Vishnu (24), Binu Joseph (39), and Abhilash Kumar (19)- from Ranni. Following extensive questioning, their arrests were formally recorded on Sunday. Among these, the first five individuals were charged in a case filed at Pathanamthitta, while Abhilash Kumar was linked to a case registered at Elavumthitta.

The survivor disclosed that she met Deepu through Instagram in 2022. In February 2023, he arranged to meet her at the Pathanamthitta private bus stand. Deepu and two accomplices then took her to a rubber plantation in Mandiram Padi, Ranni, where she was sexually assaulted inside a car. Three others joined later, arriving in an autorickshaw, and also assaulted her.

In a separate incident in January 2024, four suspects assaulted the girl at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital. Another case in July 2024 involved her being taken from the Pathanamthitta private bus stand to Thottupuram, where she was assaulted inside a vehicle near a locked shop. Afterwards, the perpetrators dropped her near her home, said cops.

The police revealed that many of the accused befriended the survivor at the Pathanamthitta bus stand and used vehicles to transport her to various locations for abuse.

Meanwhile, three suspects in two cases registered at Pathanamthitta remain at large. Previously, the police had arrested individuals including Kannan (21), Akku Anand (20), a minor, and Nandu (25).

Both Pathanamthitta and Elavumthitta stations are actively registering fresh cases as the investigation unfolds.

Special Investigation Team (SIT)
To ensure a thorough probe, the ADGP has appointed a special investigation team led by District Police Chief VG Vinod Kumar and supervised by Thiruvananthapuram Range DIG Ajitha Beegam. The team includes 25 officers, with key members such as Pathanamthitta DySP S Nandakumar, Inspectors D Shibukumar (Pathanamthitta), TK Vinod Krishnan (Elavumthitta), Jibu John (Ranni) and Sub Inspector K R Shemi Mol (Women's Police Station).

The District Police Chief will review the probe daily. Efforts are focused on collecting scientific evidence, including the examination of mobile phones, to strengthen the case.