Thiruvananthapuram: Vithura police on Saturday arrested a 32-year-old man on charges of raping his co-worker and threatening her.
The accused, Prince Mohan of B Division, Bonacaud, has been working as a driver at Vithura Jersey Farm. He is accused of repeatedly raping a 35-year-old woman working in the same jersey farm. She is a married woman with children.
Police said the woman in her complaint alleged that the accused even impregnated her and forced her to abort the baby. It was on April 29, the accused raped her for the first time. She was returning home after work and the accused grabbed her and forcefully took her to his private farm nearby and raped her. He also captured her images during the rape and then continued to rape her several times by threatening her using those images. He also extorted a sum of Rs 1 lakh from her for not publishing the images on social media.
When the accused still continued to mentally and physically abuse her, she decided to inform the matter to police. A police team led by Vithura station house officer inspector S Sreejith and sub-inspector S L Sudheesh arrested the accused after a preliminary investigation.
Police said the accused was someone with a criminal tendency. He was an accused in around 10 cases registered at Vithura police station. These included alleged theft of Rs 2 lakh worth machinery from a tea factory in Bonacaud estate and causing hurt cases.
He is also an accused in the case pertaining to assault of forest officials during last year’s Bonacaud Kurishumala ‘Way of the Cross’ pilgrimage. Following a high court order, the forest officials had banned the entry of pilgrims into the forest land on Karichattimala, popularly known as Bonacaud Kurishumala. Then, many believers had barged into the restricted zone, assaulting forest officials and police. Prince was one among them.
Following the arrest, Prince was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.