Two held for sexual assault, abduction of minor girl

T'puram: The Vizhinjam police arrested two men in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. The first accused, Vishakh (21), allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl, while the second accused—a friend of the victim—abducted her under the pretext of helping her, with the intention of assaulting her.

According to police, the victim, an Instagram influencer known for her reels, had a large following on the platform. Vishakh, a resident of Vizhinjam, had befriended her through Instagram.

On Friday morning, he lured her to Karikkakom, claiming he wanted to meet her in person. Under the guise of taking her sightseeing, he brought her to an abandoned house and raped her. After the assault, the girl contacted a male friend from Adimalathura, who arrived at the spot and took her to his house, confining her to the terrace.

Meanwhile, the girl's family filed a missing person's complaint under Section 57 of the Kerala Police Act. Police traced her using mobile tower location data, after which she disclosed the assault.

Both accused—Vishakh and the girl's friend (who were previously unknown to each other)—were arrested. They were produced before a court and remanded under the relevant Sections of BNS.