25-member SIT set up to probe Dalit athlete’s rape case, 13 more held

A 25-member special investigation team has been formed to probe the alleged sexual abuse of an 18-year-old Dalit athlete in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, officials said on Sunday, even as 11 more accused were arrested in connection with the case.

The SIT, headed by Pathanamthitta DySP S Nandakumar, is focusing on nabbing the accused based on the survivor’s testimonies, questioning them and making formal arrests, an officer said.

“In a rape case under the POCSO Act, the police can arrest the accused based on the survivor’s testimony alone. That’s what we have been doing over the past two days. She has spoken about being abused at different places across different time periods… we will be cross-checking the dates and the alibi of the accused. More arrests will be made,” the officer said requesting anonymity.

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In her statement to the police, the survivor, a district-level athlete, said she was abused by 62 individuals, starting with her friend, who is her neighbour, at the age of 13. Some of the accused in custody are friends of the accused and the police are looking to ascertain whether the woman was gang-raped by the suspects, an officer said.

Her detailed statement will be recorded by a woman sub-inspector of Pathanamthitta police station, officials added.

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Explicit photos and videos of the woman, allegedly recorded by a “friend”, were used to threaten her and subject her to repeated abuse over the years. The explicit material was also allegedly shared among perpetrators, police said.

In her statement to the police, the woman said she used her father’s mobile phone to communicate with the suspects and at least 40 people have been identified by the police after verifying the phone details as well as information from the diary in her possession, a senior police officer said. The smartphone has been sent for forensic analysis and the cyber cell is tracking details of calls made to the number at night over the last five years, the officer said.

So far, 28 people, including four minors, have been taken into custody and 18 FIRs have been filed.

According to the police, among the accused are the survivor’s fellow athletes, coaching staff and locals including autorickshaw drivers.

The survivor, while making allegations against certain accused, has mentioned only the month and year of the assault, the officer cited above said. “She has not specifically mentioned dates (of the assault) which is understandable given the number of accused. So, we have to question the accused thoroughly and pick out the finer details. In a few days, the picture will be clearer,” the officer said.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) termed the crime “heinous” and asked for a detailed action report from the state police within three days. The state women’s commission has also registered a case with its chairperson P Sathidevi calling for a report from the district superintendent of police on the case.

Besides relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) pertaining to rape and sexual abuse, the police have also invoked various sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, a top police officer from the district said.

The survivor first confided in the Snehitha Gender Help Desk under Kudumbashree in Pandalam. She was then referred to the district child welfare committee and later to the Nirbhaya shelter home in Konni, where she narrated her ordeal to the psychologists, who recorded her testimony, police said.

An official of the Pathanamthitta child welfare committee (CWC) said that people from outside the district might also be involved in the case.

The woman has been a victim of sexual exploitation since the age of 13. As it was an unusual case, she was referred to a psychologist for more in-depth counselling, CWC chairperson told a local news channel. The CWC also revealed that several phone numbers of potential suspects were found on her father’s phone.

The issue came to light during the 18-year-old’s counselling by the CWC, which was alerted by the survivor’s teachers about noticeable changes in her behaviour.

Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said on Sunday that the sexual assault allegations have “shocked the conscience of society”.

“It is scary that the parents of the survivor, her classmates and her teachers were not aware that she was enduring the abuse for the last five years. The abuse is evidence of how weak our systems and mechanisms are. The counselling mechanisms in our schools must be strengthened. The government’s special attention must remain in those schools where students from ordinary and disadvantaged sections study,” he said.