Kerala Rape Case: Saqafi may have fled

KOZHIKODE: Perode Abdul Rahman Saqafi, one of the accused in the case relating to the sexual abuse of an LKG student at Darul Huda school at Nadapuram, is suspected to have escaped to the Gulf.

An official of the investigating team told Deccan Chronicle that though the police had conducted several raids on various institutions connected with  Darul Huda, it had failed to locate  Saqafi.

The cyber cell of the police also failed to track him as the mobile phone used by  Saqafi has been switched off for the last few days.

Following protests by various organisations, Saqafi had suspended all his public programmes and vanished. Police searches  at his home also failed to yield any results.

“We have already collected evidence  against him and our attempts to nab him proved futile,”  a police officer said.

Saqafi, representative of the Darul Huda school management, had made derogatory remarks against the victim girl and her family.

State Human Rights Commission chief investigation officer DIG S. Sreejith had also reported  human rights violation by Saqafi against the child.

The child rights commission  had issued show-cause notices to the police for not taking action against the person.

“Saqafi has been missing from his home for many days,” said the official. “Many institutions where Saqafi is supposed to visit also are under police  surveillance.

He has so far not made any attempts to  take bail from any courts or police stations. His supporters had earlier visited Valayam police station and Nadapuram circle inspector’s office seeking the possibilities of bail,” he said.

It was on November 20 that Valayam police registered a case against Saqafi for his derogatory references against the child and her family.