Sexual assault: Museum police under flak for being late

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Museum Police, which came under criticism for the way they handled the case related to the assault of a woman doctor, had approached the museum and zoo authorities for the CCTV footage only two days after the incident, it is learnt.

The accused, Santhosh Malayinkeezhu, hid at the Museum grounds for 13 minutes before jumping on to the main road in front of the Public Office and driving away in the irrigation department’s SUV.As per the survivor’s complaint, Santhosh had sexually assaulted her during her morning walk on October 26. He had also tried to break into a house at Kuravankonam in the wee hours the same day. A government official told TNIE that the woman had approached the Museum Police to register her complaint immediately after the sexual assault.

“But the police there asked her to come to the station after 8am on October 26. The FIR was registered at 12pm. But strangely they approached the museum and zoo authorities only after two days to collect the CCTV visuals. They took the case seriously only after the incident became a hot topic of discussion,” said a source.

Meanwhile, three police staffers at the aid post, two at the gate and also the one appointed by Keltron who has been entrusted to check the CCTV visuals round the clock at the control room inside the Museum grounds did not take efforts to nab the culprit when he was hiding.

Currently, there are more than 100 CCTVs on the museum and zoo premises which helped the authorities nab the culprit. According to museum and zoo director S Abu, had the staffers ensured to playback the CCTV visuals, the culprit could have been caught immediately.

“But for the CCTV visuals belonging to the department, the culprit would not have been caught. Following the CCTV visuals, the police could come up with a sketch of the culprit which helped the second woman belonging to Kuravankonam identify the thief who tried to break into her house. There were three policemen,  two gate staffers and another staff belonging to Keltron who was supposed to man the  CCTV control room. I’ve issued a memo to the three police staff who failed  in their duties,” said Abu.

After the assault, Santhosh ran towards the Museum police station, with the woman chasing him. When he realised the folly, he jumped a wall on the ground with the woman also doing the same. But she fell down and could not chase him which led him to hide inside the Museum premises.