K V Moitheenkutty and the girl’s mother have been booked under POCSO Act.
A 10-year-old girl’s alleged molestation in Kerala’s Malappuram has put the state police in the dock over its inaction in the case, despite receiving a complaint along with CCTV footage. The 60-year-old man accused of allegedly molesting the girl in the movie hall was finally arrested after local media aired the evidence that later went viral. The mother of the girl, who accompanied her to the theatre was also held on Sunday night for not reporting the matter. Although the woman claimed that she was unaware of the crime, the police claim that she took her daughter to the theatre with the intention of exposing her to the abuse.
What is the case about?
A 10-year-old girl was allegedly abused by K V Moitheenkutty, in a movie hall in Malappuram in the presence of her mother on April 18. CCTV footage from the theatre showed Moitheenkutty sitting between the mother and the daughter. While the film was being screened, he was seen repeatedly harassing the girl even as the mother sat beside him.
The theatre management who checked the footage passed it to Childline, an NGO that works for kids in distress. The NGO then handed over the documentary evidence to the local police. As police delayed probe, the footage was released to a local TV channel on Saturday. The police swung into action after the footage created furore on social media.
Accused arrested
Moitheenkutty was arrested on Saturday and was booked under Section 354 of the IPC and the POCSO act. He was also taken for a medical checkup and is expected to be presented before a magistrate soon. The mother of the girl was also arrested under POCSO Act on Sunday night for allegedly being an accomplice in the crime. The girl’s statement was recorded by a magistrate and she was later shifted to a Nirbhaya Kendra, a children’s home. According to a report in Manorama, both Moitheenkutty and the girl’s mother have confessed to the crime.
Lackadaisical attitude of the police
The Kerala police is being criticised for delaying investigation in the case. After the probe finally picked up pace, Sub-Inspector K G Baby was suspended on Sunday for dereliction of duty. The police is also contemplating to charge KG Baby under the POCSO Act, according to a report in Manorama.
K G Baby had approached senior authorities after receiving the complaint from Childline but there was no action from the higher-ups, IANS reported. The police reportedly tried to take action against the Childline officials for revealing the CCTV footage to TV channels.
Changaramkulam police station house officer (SHO) Manesh K P said the delay in identifying the culprit was not deliberate. “The Childline activists did not inform us about the place of occurrence,” the SHO said. DGP Loknath Behera said stern action would be taken against all those who were found involved in the case, including policemen who did not act promptly.
Police rapped for negligence
Kerala assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan said the case has shamed everyone and that it was a ‘serious lapse’ on the part of police for failing to act soon after hearing about the abuse. “The manner in which the police acted is a serious matter too, as they should have taken immediate action. I have asked for appropriate action against those who have erred,” he added.
State Women’s Commission Chairperson M.C. Josephine said that the police failed to rise to the occasion. “It’s shocking that all this happened with the knowledge of the mother and an appropriate case should be registered against the mother too,” said Josephine. The Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala demanded strict action against the police officials for not acting on time. “Criminal cases should be registered against all the erring police officials,” he said.