Nine people, including two government employees, have been arrested in Kerala’s Kasaragod district for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy over a period of two years after befriending him on an LGBTQ mobile app, police said on Tuesday.
According to police, the boy was assaulted at his home and in different locations across Kasaragod, Kannur, and Kozhikode districts by 14 men. The matter came to light when the boy’s mother spotted a man at their house who fled upon seeing her. On being questioned, the teenager revealed the abuse, following which she alerted Childline, which in turn informed the police.
Based on the boy’s statement, 14 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, have been registered in the past two days.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police and four Inspectors will probe the eight cases linked to Kasaragod. The remaining six cases have been transferred to Kannur and Kozhikode, police said.
The accused, aged between 25 and 51, include a Railways employee. Police said further arrests cannot be ruled out.