Kerala shocker: Politician among 14 accused of raping minor boy met on 'Gay Dating App'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Kerala shocker: Politician among 14 accused of raping minor boy met on 'Gay Dating App'")
Representational Image. Photograph: (ANI)
Kasaragod district Superintendent of Police Vijay Bharath Reddy police filed 14 cases in connection with the case. Six have been transferred to Kannur and Kozhikode districts for investigation, and 8 other cases are being investigated in Kasaragod.
A 16-year-old boy in the Kasaragod district of Kerala was sexually assaulted by at least 15 people he met on a dating app, police said. In connection with the case, 9 people have been arrested, including an Assistant Educational Officer and a Railway Protection Force member.
Police said that some accused are absconding, including 46-year-old local IUML leader Vadakkumbattu Siraj. According to Kasaragod district Superintendent of Police Vijay Bharath Reddy, the minor boy met the accused persons on a dating app.
“He had met people who were above 18 years of age. A person who joins the app has to give a self-declaration that he is above the age of 18. The boy has his own mobile phone with an internet connection and downloaded the app. There seems to be no parental control in his mobile use. He made the self-declaration that he is above the age of 18, and he has been exploited for the last two years,” said the SP, India Express reported.
The officer added that 14 cases have been registered by the cops in connection with the case. Out of those cases, six have been transferred to Kannur and Kozhikode districts for investigation. The eight other cases, which are being investigated in Kasaragod, have a total of 10 accused persons.
Police said the matter came to light after the mother of the boy discovered behavioural changes in her son and began suspecting something unusual. Later, she informed the state’s child protection helpline, following which the minor boy was given psychological counselling.
Minor has been assaulted for more than two years
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According to NDTV, police chief Vijaya Bharat Reddy also said that the boy is in Class 10 student and it appears he downloaded the two years ago. He added that the boy is being suspected to have being assaulted for more than two years by these men in Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode and Ernakulam.
"The assaults allegedly took place at the boy's home and in various locations across the other districts. The case came to light after the boy's mother grew suspicious when she saw a man fleeing their home upon her arrival. When she questioned her son, he revealed what had been happening. The mother immediately contacted a child helpline, which then alerted the police," Reddy said.
Based on the boy’s testimony, police have filed 14 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, against 16 people, aged between 25 and 51. Officials also confirmed that one of the accused works with the railways.
Investigators are additionally examining the app involved, which included features for self-reporting and age verification, to determine whether regulatory lapses enabled the minor’s sexual exploitation.
