25-Member SIT Set Up To Probe Dalit Athlete's Sexual Abuse Case

Police Said Among The Accused Are The Survivor's Fellow Athletes, Coaching Staff And Locals

- Vishnu Varma

KOCHI: A 25-member special investigation team has been formed to probe the alleged sexual abuse of an 18-year-old Dalit athlete in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, officials said on Sunday, even as 13 more accused were arrested in connection with the case.

The SIT, headed by Pathanamthitta DySP S Nandakumar, is focusing on nabbing the accused based on the survivor's testimonies, questioning them and making formal arrests, an officer said.

"In a rape case under the POCSO Act, the police can arrest the accused based on the survivor's testimony alone. That's what we have been doing over the past two days. She has spoken about being abused at different places across different time periods... we will be cross-checking the dates and the alibi of the accused. More arrests will be made," the officer said requesting anonymity.

In her statement to the police, the survivor, a district-level athlete, said she was abused by 62 individuals, starting with her friend, who is her neighbour, at the age of 13. Some of the accused in custody are friends of the accused and the police are looking to ascertain whether the woman was gang-raped by the suspects, an officer said.

Her detailed statement will be recorded by a woman sub-inspector of Pathanamthitta police station, officials added.