A 19-year old COVID-19 patient was allegedly raped by an ambulance driver while she was being taken to a hospital on Saturday night in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, police said.
The ambulance driver Noufal (29) was taken into custody on Sunday based on a complaint by the victim's mother to the hospital authorities and the police, said Pathanamthitta district police superintendent K G Simon.
According to a report in the Indian Express, Noufal hailed from Alappuzha district and was part of the 'Kanivu 108 Ambulance Services'. The police said he is also an accused in an attempt to murder case registered in 2019.
According to police, the incident occurred at Aranmula on Saturday.
"We were informed by the hospital authorities after the victim told them about the incident and we took him into custody. We will take the statement of the girl later as she is not a position to explain her ordeal," the investigating officer told PTI.
The girl was admitted to a hospital at Adoor on Saturday after she and her mother tested positive for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Kerala reported 2,655 new COVID-19 cases, of these, 2,433 are locally transmitted cases and the contact source in 220 cases are unknown, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday.
Kerala has reported total 84,759 COVID-19 positive cases so far, according to the state health department.
"Of the new cases, 38 of them are returnees from foreign countries and 114 from other states. There are also 61 healthcare workers among those infected. At the same time, 2,111 patients under treatment for the disease have recovered today," said Kerala Chief Minister.
Kerala also reported 11 deaths taking the COVID-19 death toll in the State to 337.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
