Man held for abusing minor tribal girls in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vithura police, on Thursday, arrested a 56-year-old man on charges of sexually harassing two tribal girls, who are siblings. Police identified the accused as Sathyachandran alias Perumal of Kallar under Vithura police station limits. The victims in the case are aged 14 and 11 and reside in a tribal settlement near Vithura.
According to the police, the accused allegedly tried to molest the elder girl a week ago. He had also allegedly spoken to the younger girl in a vulgar manner several times. The police booked him under relevant sections of Pocso Act.
Vithura station house officer Inspector S Sreejith said that the case was registered based on a complaint filed by dalit activist Dhanya Raman, who visited the girls as part of counselling. The arrest was recorded after recording the statement of the girls.
Speaking to TOI, Dhanya Raman said that the girls hailed from a broken family. Their mother had abandoned them three years ago and they were under the care of the father, who led a wayward lifestyle and grandmother, who is visually challenged owing to old age. "The accused was a close acquaintance of the father," she said.
(The victims' identity has not been revealed to protect their privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)