Kozhikode: Two persons have been arrested in a case of trying to molest a girl who ran away from a Govt. Children’s (Girls) home. One of them escaped from the police station in the evening but was caught by the police within an hour. Chevayur police arrested Tom Thomas (26) from Karthika, Kannanallur, Kollam and Fabin Rafi (26) from Cheradi house, Kodungallur. Fabian Rafi escaped from the station.
Govt. Phoebe was found on the campus of the Law College. The case against the two is under sections of the Poxo and Juvenile Justice Acts. Fabian fled the station while his statement was being recorded and was being prepared to return to the station after a medical examination and be produced before a magistrate.
Tom Thomas and Fabian Rafi were on a train bound for Bangalore with six girls who had left the girls’ home on the evening of the 26th. After getting off the train, he met the girls. When the girls told her she was going to Goa and lost her bag, they offered to help. After the girls were taken to Madiwala by bus, the two followed on a bike and were taken to a flat in Madiwala.
One of the girls was stopped by the other children when Tom Thomas and Phoebe tried to molest them. When he came out with a commotion, the locals arrived. Malayalee community activists and others tried to stop them. Meanwhile, 4 children got into the autorickshaw. The girl, who was abducted by locals in Madiwala, was taken into police custody along with Tom Thomas and Fabian Rafi.
The boy was later taken into police custody in Mandya when he was returning home in a private bus. The other four children were arrested when they reached Nilambur Edakkara. The girls arrested in Edakara were brought to Kozhikode on Friday evening and the girls arrested in Karnataka along with Tom Thomas and Fabian Rafi were brought to Kozhikode yesterday morning. There have also been indications of those who provided financial assistance to children. The girls were produced before a magistrate and a secret statement was recorded. After being presented to the Child Welfare Committee late at night, the girls were transferred to the home.
