Probe tribal women’s abuse

Kochi: Kerala High Court on Saturday directed the police to conduct a detailed probe into the sexual abuse of some tribal women from Neyyar Dam who were taken to attend the annual meeting of Kerala Congress  in Kottayam.

Justice B. Kemal Pasha refused to grant anticipatory bail to S. Binu, Kottoor, Kuttichal, Thiruvananthapuram, an accused in the case.

“The tribal women fell in the trap laid by the petitioner and other accused in the case and so it should be probed thoroughly. The investigation has a long way to go.

The matter has to be further investigated and the persons behind this have to be booked,” the court observed.

The police registered a case against the accused under Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act and sections under the Protection of Children from Sexual offences Act.

The accused offered free food and travel in a luxury coach vehicle for 35 persons belonging to the tribal community for participating in the  Kerala Congress meeting. They  offered liquor to some of the members and later abused all the women.

Sessions court order not to be quashed

Kerala High Court on Saturday refused to quash a sessions court order directing the police to conduct a probe into the alleged interference made by a rape case accused to settle the matter by intimidating the victim.

Justice B. Kemal Pasha upheld Thalassery sessions court order directing the police to probe the case after the victim complained that the accused M. Surendran and A.K. Sudheesh  threatened her and her mother.

The court observed that the victims should not remain as a forgotten mass in criminal trial.

There is no judicial error in the trial court order. The court considered the statement of the victim and her mother  that there were attempts to forcefully withdraw the prosecution case.

The prosecution case is that the accused offered a lift to the 16 year old girl in his car and later gave her  some toffee.

After eating it , she became  unconscious. She was kidnapped and subjected to gang rape. The accused, who was released on bail, later violated the bail conditions and  harassed the girl, her mother and other family members.

State to withdraw charges against Swiss Baud  

The state government has decided to drop the charges against Swiss national Jonathan Baud who was arrested alleging Maoist links.

According to sources, the state will withdraw the case registered against Baud under section 14(b) of the Foreigner Act Baud, who attended a commemoration ceremony of Maoist activist Sinoj at Thriprayar in Thrissur, was  arrested based on intelligence output.

Baud later challenged the case before Kerala High court and the matter is still pending.