Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 27: A court here on Saturday convicted a 46-year-old man for abducting and sexually assaulting a two-year-old girl, the daughter of a nomadic couple, at Chakka in February last year, police said.
The Special Court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) found Hasan Kutty, also known as Kabeer, a native of Idava near Ayiroor, guilty under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act. The sentence will be pronounced on October 3, officials said.
Details of the Incident
According to police, the incident took place on the night of February 19, 2024, when Kutty abducted the child while she was sleeping with her parents by the roadside near Chakka.
He took her to an isolated spot near the railway track behind BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, where he sexually assaulted and abandoned her, assuming she was dead, police said.
Following a complaint from the parents, police launched a search and found the child unconscious and injured in a bushy area the next evening. She was admitted to the hospital, and her life was saved.
A police official said investigators examined more than 100 CCTV cameras and identified Kutty as the perpetrator.
Investigation and Arrest
He had boarded a KSRTC bus from Thampanoor and later travelled through Kollam, Aluva and Palani, where he shaved his head to avoid detection, police added.
Nearly two weeks later, he was arrested at Chinnakkada in Kollam. A medical examination confirmed the assault, while forensic tests found strands of the victim's hair on Kutty's clothes, police said.
Trial Proceedings
The trial began this year, during which the court examined 41 witnesses, 62 documents and 11 material objects. Public Prosecutor K Ajith Prasad and advocate V S Bindu represented the prosecution.
Kutty had earlier been involved in eight criminal cases, including a child abuse case registered at the Ayiroor police station in 2022, police added.
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