POCSO Crime Log: March 2017
The POCSO Crime Log is a monthly chronological listing that tracks POCSO Cases reported in reliable media sources.
30 cases came to our notice in the month of March 2017.
10 minors sent to child welfare committee for sexually abusing 12-year-old boy
Date: 01 March, 2017
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Case Registered Under: Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 8 (sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of POCSO
10 minors were arrested by the police and produced in a juvenile court in Dongri for sexually assaulting a 12-year old boy in Andheri East. The victim was sexually abused several times over few months and the accused even recorded the crime on their phones and threatened to make it public if he informed others about the abuse. The accused were produced before a juvenile court.
Kerala priest who spoke against child abuse arrested for raping minor girl
Date: 07 March, 2017
Location: Kottiyor, Kerala
Case Registered Under: POCSO
Father Robin Vaddakumchiryil (48), the vicar of St Sebastian church in Kottiyoor, who spoke against child abuse was arrested by the police for raping a minor which led to her pregnancy. The 17-year old girl gave birth to a baby at a private hospital in February and the accused shifted the mother and the newborn to an orphanage in Wayanad to cover up the incident. The issue came to light after the victim narrated the incident to childline who then informed the police.
CWC chairman Fr Thomas Joseph Therakam and one of the committee members, Betty Jose, and Superintendent of the orphanage in Wayanad Sister Ophelia surrendered before the police and were charged with covering up the issue. Two nuns and a hospital administrator, accused of cover up too were arrested but were later granted bail.
Death of minor sisters in Palakkad: accused recorded sexual abuse on mobile phones…
Date: 08 March, 2017
Location: Palakkad, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
Four people were taken in to custody following the death of two minor siblings after alleged sexual assault. The girls, 9 and 11 were raped by the culprits and the police found visuals of the sexual assault on the girls from one of their mobile phones. The 9-year old girl was found hanging in her home fifty days after her elder sister was found dead in a similar manner. One of the accused is the deceased girls’ cousin brother.
Kerala: 53-year-old arrested for sexually assaulting 2 minor sisters
Date: 08 March, 2017
Location: Kochi, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
A 53-year old man was arrested by the police for sexually assaulting two minor girls living in the neighborhood. The girls, aged three and seven were subject to sexual assault by the accused Unni Thomas for quite some time and the incident came to light after the seven-year-old girl complained of some infection to her school teacher who then informed Child Welfare Committee.
School girl gives birth to baby, Sunday school teacher held for rape
Date: 09 March, 2017
Location: Kalpetta, Kerala
Case Registered Under: Relevant sections of IPC and POCSO
A 17-year old girl was raped on the promise of marriage by accused Sijo George, 23 who is a Sunday school teacher and coordinator of Mananthawadi diocese committee of Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM). The girl was sexually abused several times and gave birth to a baby girl at a private hospital in Kozhikode. The accused failed to keep his promise after strong opposition from his parents and the baby has been shifted to a church convent in the city.
Kerala: Six arrested for sexually abusing minor girls of orphanage
Date: 09 March, 2017
Location: Wayanad, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
Six people were arrested for assaulting seven minor girls in the 12-16 age group of an orphanage for more than four months in Kalpetta in Kerela’s Wayanad district. The incident came to light after the security guard of the orphanage found a girl in tears coming out of a shop near the orphanage. The girls were lured by the gang on their way to school by offering them sweets and were forced to watch pornographic clips before being subjected to abuse. The medical examination of the girls confirmed sexual assault. In all, eleven cases were filed, three more accused are absconding.
66-yr-old Malappuram man arrested for sexual abuse of minor girl…
Date: 09 March, 2017
Location: Malappuram, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
A 66-year old man was arrested for abusing a 7-year old girl who had come to his house to play with his grandchildren. The accused Kammali was arrested after complains from the girl’s family and the neighbors, who also alleged that the elderly man has abused children earlier too.
Two arrested on charges of child abuse
Date: 10 March, 2017
Location: Kohzhikode, Kerala
Case Registered Under: POCSO
Two separate cases were registered under POCSO. In the first incident, the accused Tharemmal Balakrishnan, a 54-year old man was arrested by the police on the charges of sexually abusing two minor girls, siblings aged 10 and 11 for more than two years.
In another incident, the accused A Kunhiraman, an 85-year old man was arrested on the charges of molesting a differently-abled 12-year old girl. The incident came to light after the minor revealed it during counseling by the childline. The court remanded both the accused in judicial custody for 14 days
Kamatipura head constable arrested by colleagues for sexually abusing minor
Date: 10 March, 2017
Location: Hyderabad, Telangana
Case Registered Under: Section of rape, kidnapping and POCSO
Head constable Mohammed Mahboob was arrested for sexually assaulting a minor girl whom he allegedly maintained an illicit relationship. The victim lived in a hut opposite the police station and took advantage of her poverty by offering her gifts. The elder sister of the victim complained to the police first and the victim and family members later lodged a complaint against Mahboob. The minor was shifted to hospital for proper medical examination to establish her age.
Man in Kerala held for sexual abuse of siblings
Date: 11 March, 2017
Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Case Registered Under: POCSO
The accused, a 26-year old man Vinod was arrested by police for sexually abusing a five-year old girl and her older brother, aged nine who was undergoing cancer treatment. The accused used to visit the victims’ home under the pretext of enquiring about the boy’s health and abused the siblings for a couple of months. The boy told the mother about their ordeal and later got in touch with Childline with the help of one of his teachers.
52-year-old held for assaulting two girls had abused another minor: Cops
Date: 12 March, 2017
Location: Malad, Mumbai
Case Registered Under: Relevant sections of IPC and POCSO
Two minor girls were sexually assaulted by a 52-yearl old man who was arrested by the police in Malad East. It emerged that the man has assaulted another girl and might have targeted several other children in the neighborhood. The incident came to light after one of the victims, a 12-year old girl, filed a complaint against the man for luring her into his house and touching her inappropriately.
No end to horror: 3-year-old girl sexually abused by her teenager uncle…
Date: 14 March, 2017
Location: Kannur, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
A 15-year old was arrested by the police for sexually abusing a 3-year old girl who was admitted to the hospital after sustaining injuries in the assault. The accused teenager is victim’s mother’s brother.
Now, madrasa tutor arrested in Kannur for sexually abusing minor girls…
Date: 14 March, 2017
Location: Kannur, Kerala
Case Registered Under: POCSO
The accused – Muhammad Rafi, a 27-year old madrasa tutor was arrested by the police at Iritty in Kannur after sexually abusing four minor girls aged between 8 and 11. He was arrested after the girls’ mothers filed a complaint and subsequent statements from the victims. Police are investigating whether more children were sexually assaulted by Rafi after he confessed to have committed the crime.
Kerala Shocker: Sexually Abused By Maternal Grandfather, Minor Commits Suicide
Date: 15 March, 2017
Location: Kollam, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
A 10-year old girl was found hanging in her home after she was subjected to sexual abuse several times. The postmortem report found 22 wounds on her body and also revealed she was sexually abused several times. The police failed to investigate the case and take it forward and it came to light only after the victim’s relatives informed the media. Nine people including the mother of the girl was taken into custody by the police. Victor Daniel, the victim’s maternal grandfather was arrested by the police and produced in sessions court and has also decided to include the grandmother as an accused on the conclusion that she was aware of the incident but didn’t do anything to stop or inform the authorities.
Man held for sexual abuse of 4-year-old child
Date: 16 March, 2017
Location: Kovalam, Kerala
Case Registered Under: POCSO
A 54-year old bus driver, Sunil Dutt was arrested by police for sexually abusing a four-year old girl inside a school bus. The incident came to light after the girl was showing signs of uneasiness and admitted to the hospital. The victim identified the accused, who was then taken to the police station and was manhandled by several activists who had gathered there.
Sexual assault on visually impaired child: teacher booked
Date: 17 March, 2017
Location: Kozhikode, Kerala
Case Registered Under: Sections 7 (sexual assault), 8 (punishment for sexual assault) 9 (f) (whoever being on the management or staff of an educational institution or religious institution, commits sexual assault on a child in that institution) and 9 (K) whoever, taking advantage of a child’s mental or physical disability, commits sexual assault on the child) of the POCSO Act.
A 40-year old crafts teacher Firoz Khan went missing soon after he was booked by the police for sexually abusing a 12-year old visually impaired girl child four months ago when she was staying in the school hostel. The incident came to light when the school headmaster and the girl’s parents approached the police to take action against the teacher.
Woman held for sexually abusing teenaged girl
Date: 18 March, 2017
Location: Kochi, Kerala
Case Registered Under: Section 377 (unnatural sex), relevant sections of POCSO, Kerala Police Act and IT Act
Sini Siyad, a 26-year old woman was arrested by police for employing a homemade sex toy made of cloth, plastic and balloon and sexually abusing her neighbor’s 15-year daughter by strapping the toy on her waist and violating the minor for two years. For two years, the girl believed that the person sexually torturing her was a man which could be due to the woman’s manly appearance and her sexual ignorance and traumatized state, according to police and Childline. The accused also shot the video of the girl while changing clothes and threatened to upload it on social media.
Malappuram: Three Madrassa students sexually abused in Nilambur
Date: 19 March, 2017
Location: Malappuram, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
A 47-year old Madrassa teacher was taken into custody by the police when it emerged that he had sexually abused three girl students of his madrassa who were below 15 years of age. The incident came to light when the girls approached the police to lodge a complaint.
In another incident, the police took into custody a father of a seventeen year old girl in connection of sexually abusing the girl. The issue came to light after the childline received a complaint through its helpline number.
Andheri man arrested for raping teen daughter
Date: 19 March, 2017
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Case Registered Under: Rape and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code and sexual assault on a minor under POCSO
A 13-year old girl was sexually abused for over a year at her residence by her 38-year old father. The exploitation came to light after the victim confided in one of her teachers, who, in turn, contacted a local NGO.
Kerala vicar arrested for sexual abuse of seminary student
Date: 20 March, 2017
Location: Kollam, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
Thirty-year-old Fr Thomas Parekala a native of Kannur and vicar of St Mary’s Church at Puthoor was arrested by the police for sexually assaulting a minor boy who had pursued theology in his seminary. The victim was subjected to unnatural sex by the priest for about one year and also revealed that the priest had abused two other boys during that period. The incident came to light after the boy’s parents approached the Child Welfare Committee. The priest had earlier escaped the custody through the back door of the police station but was located by Cyber Cell and nabbed again.
PG 13 what? 12 year old Kochi boy could be India’s youngest daddy
Date: 23 March, 2017
Location: Kochi, Kerala
Case Registered Under: POCSO
In November 2016, a 17-year old girl gave birth to a baby girl and after a DNA profiling of the now four month girl, a 12-year old boy has likely become the ‘youngest father’ in India. The police have booked both the parents, who are relatives, under the POCSO act.
Rapist’s mother tortures 11-year-old girl
Date: 23 March, 2017
Location: Chandigarh
Case Registered Under: POCSO
The accused and his mother were arrested by the police after it emerged that they had raped and tortured an 11-year old girl respectively. The girl, who was living in a rented accommodation owned by the accused and then deserted by her parents, was also subject to insensitive treatment by a woman cop after she approached the police. The victim was also thrashed and a hot tong was inserted in her body when she informed the mother of the accused about her ordeal. The lady police officer has been shifted out.
53-year-old held for molesting minor daughter in Mumbai
Date: 24 March, 2017
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Case Registered Under: POCSO
The perpetrator – a 53-year old man was arrested by the police for molesting his 14-year old daughter for the past one year. According to the girl’s statement, her father would harass and force her to touch him inappropriately in the absence of her mother and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the sexual abuse. Even after confiding in her mother, the man continued to threaten and scare both of them. The incident came to light after the victim told her principal about the molestation, who in turn called an NGO seeking help.
Trio of high schoolers arrested in Kerala for repeated sexual abuse of three primary students
Date: 25 March, 2017
Location: Kozhikode, Kerala
Case Registered Under: Sections 9(1)(M),10 (2)(1) and 12 of POCSO Act
A counseling session brought to light an incident where three high school students had repeatedly assaulted three lower primary school students. The minors, including two girls and one boy, opened up in the session about their ordeal. The high school students were arrested by the police.
Man held on charge of sexual abuse of boys
Date: 25 March, 2017
Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Case Registered Under: POCSO
A 38-year old man was taken into custody by the police for sexually abusing two boys who were his close relatives. The accused was arrested after a complaint submitted by the victim’s mother and had threatened the victims against revealing the offence.
Eight teachers accused of filming, raping 13-year-old student for two years
Date: 25 March, 2017
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Case Registered Under: NK
A 13-year old girl from Bikaner was raped by eight teachers of a private school in Jaipur for nearly two years. The series of incidents began after the teachers called her to a school, closed the door, asked her to remove her clothes and photographed her. After this, they started blackmailing her, threatening to make the video public if she told anyone about the incidents and sexually abusing her. The minor developed cancer-like symptoms due to the drugs given to her by the accused to prevent her from getting pregnant.
Teacher detained for sexual abuse of student in Kerala
Date: 27 March, 2017
Location: Kannur, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
A Class-III student of Kattampally Government UP School leveled sexual abuse charges against her teacher after which he was taken into custody by the police. Following an anonymous call to the Childline and the child’s statement, the victim was produced before the Child Welfare Committee and the case was registered.
Husband of hostel matron booked for sexual abuse in Telangana
Date: 27 March, 2017
Location: Nalgonda, Telangana
Case Registered Under: POCSO
Several inmates of the tribal welfare girls residential school were sexually abused for several days by the husband of the matron in Neredugomma. According to the police, hostel matron Vijayarani and the accused Raju used to live on the premises of the residential school and Raju used to enter the hostel rooms of class VI students and misbehave and molest them. Unable to bear the harassment anymore, some students gathered courage and lodged a complaint with the child helpline. The accused is absconding.
Kerala: Five girls in Badiadka government school allege sexual abuse by teacher
Date: 29 March, 2017
Location: Kasargod, Kerala
Case Registered Under: POCSO
Five girl students of class VI and VII studying in a government-run school alleged sexual abuse by a teacher in a letter found in the complaint box of the school. The letter was found by the headmaster who then forwarded it to Childline. The girls informed the Childline counselors that the teacher attempted to sexually abuse them for three continuous days in the last two weeks.
Four-yr-old girl child in Varkala ‘sexually abused’
Date: 30 March, 2017
Location: Varkala, Kerala
Case Registered Under: NK
A 4-year old girl was subject to sexual abuse when she went to the neighborhood and suffered from some physical discomfort after returning. After being admitted to the hospital, Child Welfare Committee who counseled the child were convinced of the sexual abuse and handed over the child’s statement to the police. Police have filed a case against the neighbor but not yet arrested the accused.
Other Relevant Cases:-
Indian athlete arrested in US on charges of sexually abusing 12-yr-old girl
Date: 03 March, 2017
Location: Saranac Lake Village, New York
A 24-year old snowshoe racer from Kashmir, Tanveer Hussain was arrested in Saranac Lake Village in New York State on charges of sexually abusing a 12-year old girl. Hussain was in the United States to participate in 2017 world snowshoe championships and his travel expenses and visa costs were borne by a crowdfunding campaign which rasied $1,600.
Officials see sexual abuse behind Nellore student suicide
Date: 07 March, 2017
Location: Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
K Sai Charan, a Class X student of Nellore’s Ravindra Bharathi School, committed suicide by hanging himself in the Vijayawada hostel. According to top officials Sai Charan was subjected to sexual abuse which might have forced him to commit suicide under depression. The postmortem report revealed no sexual abuse evidence. Inquiries are under way.
Muslim personal law conflicts with POCSO, says Delhi court, allows marriage of minor girl
Date: 21 March, 2017
Location: New Delhi
Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav acquitted an 18-year old man who married a 15-year old girl, both Muslims, who faced charges of rape, kidnapping and other sections of the POCSO act. There is a conflict between the Muslim Personal Law and POCSO. According to POCSO, the minor girl was a “child not capable of giving consent for her marriage and consummation thereof” but the judge mentioned that “her personal law clearly authorizes her to go ahead and get married at that age”.
