A woman who had travelled from Tamil Nadu to Keralam with a married male friend was allegedly abducted from a lodge in Thrissur by a gang posing as police officers and later sexually assaulted, police said. The man accompanying her was allegedly beaten so severely that he suffered fractures to his arms and legs before being abandoned outside a hospital in Tamil Nadu.
The alleged crime, which took place on September 22, has led to the arrest of five people, including the man's wife. Police suspect the attack was planned after the woman and the man checked into a lodge near the KSRTC bus stand in Thrissur.
Wife Allegedly Tracked Husband's Location
According to investigators, as quoted by PTI, the man's wife allegedly tracked his mobile phone location and shared the information with the gang. Police suspect she had given a "quotation" to the accused to carry out the attack.
The gang allegedly used the location details to find the couple at the lodge. Five men posing as police officers then allegedly entered their room, tied the hands and legs of both victims with cloth and gagged them before forcing them into a car.
Man Allegedly Beaten During Journey
The woman and her male friend were allegedly taken from Keralam towards Tamil Nadu.
During the journey, the man was allegedly subjected to severe physical assault. Police said he suffered fractures to both his arms and legs before the gang abandoned him outside a hospital near Tiruppur.
After leaving the injured man behind, two members of the gang allegedly moved the woman into another vehicle and sexually assaulted her, police said.
Survivor's Statement Leads To Probe
Following the incident, Tamil Nadu Police registered a case based on the woman's statement. The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Thrissur City Police.
The probe, led by the Thrissur Assistant Commissioner, resulted in the arrest of one accused near Nedumbassery airport. Information obtained during his interrogation allegedly helped police trace three more suspects to Tiruppur.
The three were arrested and produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody.
Fifth Accused Arrested In Palani
Police later arrested another accused from Palani in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. He is scheduled to be produced before a court on Thursday.
Police said one more person, who is suspected to be a minor, remains to be arrested.
With five accused now in custody, investigators are probing the alleged role of the man's wife and the circumstances surrounding the purported "quotation" for the attack. The investigation is ongoing.