The popular tourist destination of Ilaveezha Poonchira was recently scene of an action that makes screen blockbusters and sensational romantic novels.
From the bamboo forests near here on Tuesday, a minor, who reportedly eloped with a Melukavu resident named George (Appukuttan, aged 21), was spotted by the police after she remained missing for three weeks from home.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team took George into custody and rescued the 17-year-old girl.
It was on January 6 that a man-missing case was filed in the Kumily police station.
A habeas corpus was also filed in the High Court and a special team of police, under the Kattappana DySP, was formed to trace the girl who was reportedly in love with George who came to Kumily to pluck the areca nut from the farm that the girl’s family owned.
The police and the local people were on the look out for them.
The police traced the phone location of George near the tower in Ilaveezha Poonchira, near Kanjar. They searched inside the forest, yet the two could not be traced.
Finally, they came out of the forest on Tuesday morning with two sacks of forest produce. Seeing the police, they ran in two different directions.
Girl found
The girl was physically weak and sought help from a house at Saramkuthy.
The family gave her food and a place for resting, and then informed the police. George was nabbed by the police and the local people after a chase.
According to the police, they lived in rock caves and under shade of trees, eating only raw food like green banana and coconut collected by George at night from the farms near the forest.
The police were camping in Ilaveezha Poonchira for the past three weeks in search of the couple. But George, being familiar with the forest, was evading them. It is being examined whether the accused received any help from outside to hide in the woods. Preliminary investigations suggested that the accused was a habitual offender and was wanted in several criminal cases, including two rape cases.
There were cases filed against him at the Chingavanam and Kottayam police stations. His motorcycle was earlier traced from Kolapra on the outskirts of the forest.
George is likely to be charged under Section 363 of Indian Penal Code (abduction) and under sections of POCSO Act.
The girl was handed over to her relatives after being produced before the High Court.
She will be produced before the Peerumedu magistrate after a medical examination.