25-member SIT set up to probe Dalit athlete's rape case, 13 more held

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 taken into custody in connection with the case.

- Vishnu Varma

The SIT, headed by Pathanamthitta DySP S Nandakumar, is focusing on nabbing the accused based on the survivor's testimonies, 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...," the officer said.