An ambulance driver was arrested by Kerala Police for allegedly raping a  19-year-old COVID-19 positive girl at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district.

The driver has been identified as Noufal (25).

As per the police, the test results of the alleged victim who quarantined herself at a relative's house in Panthalam had returned positive on Saturday.

The police stated that after her test results came back positive, she was being taken to a COVID-19 hospital along with another patient in a hospital, After dropping the other patient, Noufal took the victim to a lonely place and sexually assaulted her.

"Health workers sent two women in an ambulance to two different hospitals. After dropping one patient, Noufal took the victim girl to a lonely place and sexually assaulted her. Later he dropped her at the COVID-19 care centre around midnight," police said.

The driver then dropped her at the COVID-19 care centre around midnight.

Aranmula police arrested Noufal in the night itself on the basis of the girl`s statement and charged him with rape.

Kerala health minister KK Shailaja in a statement said that she has directed GVK company, the operational partner of the state health department's `108 ambulance service` to dismiss the driver.

She directed the police to ensure that a strong punishment is meted out to the accused.

(With ANI inputs)