Honey trap scandal: Blackmailer has ‘rape history’ too

Thiruvananthapuram: It has come to light that Jayachandran, the prime accused in the honey trap scandal who was arrested from his ‘hideout’ in the MLA hostel on July 25, had sexually exploited a 24-year-old woman now lodged in the Nirbhaya Home, the state’s home for the victims of sexual abuse. The victim herself identified Jayachandran from the pictures that appeared in newspapers on July 26.

A year ago, the woman was subjected to multiple rapes for nearly a month. Already 13 of the 17 accused have been nabbed. Medical College CI Vinod, who is in charge of the probe, said that Jayachandran was a fresh addition to the accused list. “Further action will be taken after the victim is summoned to the station and asked to identify the accused,” the CI said.

Jayachandran is the third accused and the victim identified him from the photographs the police had released through newspapers. One of the accused was spotted in the  picture of a fake currency racket. Another was found among a group that attempted to murder a father and son.

Nirbhaya sources said that the victim, who hails from a northern district, has minor mental disability. She had lost her mother early in life. “She had the habit of leaving her house whenever she thought of her mother. Normally, she visits the homes of her close relatives. But one day last year she got into a train and ended up in Thiruvananthapuram,” a Nirbhaya source said.

When she got into an autorickshaw, the driver, finding that she was clueless about the place and desperate for a job, took her to a house in the interior of the city. There she was abused for nearly a month.