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8-year-old kidnapped and raped in Kerala; one held
An 8-year-old girl was kidnapped, raped, and abandoned near a paddy field in Kerala. The accused, Christil Raj, has been taken into custody. The victim is stable but has injuries.
An eight-year-old girl was kidnapped, raped and abandoned near a paddy field in Ernakulum district of Kerala early on Thursday, police said, adding that the accused was taken into custody in the afternoon hours.
According to police, the accused – Christil Raj – has earlier been booked in multiple cases, on charges including that of molestation and theft.
The minor, daughter of a migrant couple from Bihar, was abducted from her home near Aluva town around 2am on Thursday while she was asleep with her mother and two siblings, police said, adding that the girl’s father was at Thiruvananthapuram at the time.
The girl was allegedly raped and abandoned near a paddy field in Chathanpuram neighbourhood of Aluva, police added.
She was rescued by residents of the area, police said. “In the night, I heard a girl crying and saw through the window the shadow of a man attempting to hit her. Immediately, I called my wife and put on all the lights. I called a couple of my neighbours and began to search for the child. It was raining. After a while, we saw the girl walking towards us from the direction of the paddy field. She was naked. We immediately took her home and alerted the police,” Sukumaran, a resident, told a news channel.
Ernakulam (Rural) superintendent of police Vivek Kumar told reporters, “The victim is stable, but she has injuries in her private parts. She underwent a surgery (for the injuries suffered) ... she has identified the suspect.”
The police identified the accused using CCTV footage of shops in the neighbourhood and zeroed in on his location, police said.
In the afternoon, cops received information that the accused was hiding near the Periyar river under the Marthanda Varma bridge, from where he was taken into custody, police added. “His interrogation is underway,” an officer said.
Health minister Veena George announced that ₹1 lakh will be given to the child’s family and free treatment provided to her at the Kalamassery Medical College hospital where she was admitted.
