Three days after motorcycle-borne miscreants tried to molest two women and attacked their husbands at Pettah, the City police on Thursday nabbed four people in connection with the case. The incident had raised questions on the safety of citizens during late hours in the State capital.
The investigation team arrested Rakesh, alias Koch Rakesh, 28, of Vanchiyoor; Praveen, alias Kari Praveen, 25, of Kannammoola; Abhijith Nair J., alias Unni, 25, of Kollamkavu in Nedumangad; and Shiju R., 28, of Pattom.
The arrests were made following a complaint submitted by two employees of the office of the Accountant General here who were attacked with a machete after they thwarted attempts to molest their wives. The alleged incident occurred around 8.30 p.m. on June 27 close to their house at Ambalathumukku, near Pettah, when the families had gone for a walk.
Rakesh and Praveen were directly involved in the case, while the others have been accused of abetting their escape. On the basis of CCTV visuals and information provided by others with similar criminal antecedents, the police apprehended the gang members from separate hideouts at Manvila, Nedumangad and Kottiyam in Kollam. The scooter used by the first two accused has also been confiscated.
Zero tolerance
Terming the incident unfortunate, City Police Commissioner and Inspector General Balram Kumar Upadhyay said a zero-tolerance policy had been adopted to check such incidents.
The charge sheet in the case will be submitted within 30 days to ensure that the case went to trial without any delay.
The accused persons have been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 354 (outraging the modesty of woman), 324, 323 (both pertaining to voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). They have been involved in several criminal cases registered by the Vanchiyoor, Medical College, Pettah, Nedumangad and Neyyattinkara police.
Rakesh had last completed a two-year jail term in 2019 in a theft case.
More people are suspected to be involved in aiding the prime accused and efforts are on to nab them, according to the police.
