Three more held in Malwani rape case of a 14-year-old girl

The Malwani police have arrested three more persons in connection with the kidnapping and illegal confinement of a 14-year-old girl who went missing six months ago and returned home last month. She was admitted to the hospital for ill-health and was declared dead during treatment at Nair hospital last week.

The Malwani police had earlier arrested a 17-year-old youth on the charge of kidnapping. During the interrogation, the police learnt that the victim was staying at the residence of the accused’s sister in Malwani while she was missing.

"We have arrested the mother and two sisters of the accused also on charges of kidnapping since they were aware of the victim’s location but did not inform the police and provided shelter to the accused and the victim," said senior police inspector Abdul Rauf Sheikh. "After the incident, the locals gathered outside the police station and pelted stones and also damaged few best buses," he added.

"Looking at the seriousness of this case, we have deployed a special team in the area to avoid any other tension," added Sheikh.

"The victim and accused were having an affair and she eloped in May this year with the accused to live in his sister’s residence,” said another officer.

"The post mortem report of the deceased shows that she was underweight, had tuberculosis and was also suffering from jaundice," said Sheikh. "Further investigation is going on and more arrests could be made.”