Six arrested after 18-year-old Dalit girl in Kerala alleges sexual abuse by 62 people over five years

(Representational image)

Kerala Police have filed two FIRs and arrested six individuals following allegations made by an 18-year-old Dalit girl from the Pathanamthitta district, claiming that around 62 people have sexually abused her over the past five years, reported The Indian Express.

Pathanamthitta Superintendent of Police, V G Vinod Kumar, quoted in the Indian Express report, confirmed that the cases were registered at two different police stations. "We arrested five suspects in one case and a single accused in the other. As the investigation continues, additional charges may be filed once we verify more details. A deputy superintendent of police is leading the inquiry," he stated.

The allegations surfaced when volunteers from the Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society encountered the girl, a district-level athlete, during a routine visit. Upon hearing her troubling experiences, the volunteers promptly contacted the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

Advocate N Rajeev, who chairs the Pathanamthitta CWC, told The Indian Express that the matter was brought to the committee's attention about 15 days ago. "I encouraged the girl to meet with the committee along with her mother. She received counseling and finally opened up to a psychologist about the sexual abuse she has endured since the age of 13," he noted.

According to Rajeev, the girl's family was unaware of the abuse, as she had not shared any details with her mother. "Being a district-level athlete, she has participated in various sports camps, which may have contributed to the circumstances leading to this ongoing abuse," he added.

"The girl frequently used her father's mobile phone, who is an alcoholic. Many of the alleged abusers were identified from contacts saved in the phone," Rajeev explained. He further disclosed that psychologists from the Nirbhaya scheme spoke with her to evaluate the validity of her claims and examined her father's phone for the names of the accused. "As the investigation advances, it’s possible that more individuals could be involved," he said, announcing that the girl has been placed in a CWC shelter for her safety.