KOZHIKODE: Congress leader O.M. George, who sexually abused a minor tribal girl for over a year in Wayanad, is absconding after the police registered a case against him under PoCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. The issue came to light when the 17-year-old girl attempted to commit suicide the other day. The parents of the girl were farm labourers in the house of George, former Sulthan Bathery panchayat president and the current vice-chairman of Sulthan Bathery Cooperative Bank.
George was booked based on a complaint submitted by her parents. She is now under the care of Child Line. She had given a statement to Child Line as well as the police regarding the abuse. The case which was registered by the local police was handed over to the Spe-cial Mobile Squad (SMS) wing. DySP Kuberan Na-mboothiri is in charge of the investigation. A case was also registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Preve-ntion of Atrocities) Act.
George is suspected to have crossed over to eit-her Karnataka or Tamil Nadu. As directed by the KPCC, the Wayanad Dist-rict Congress Committee has suspended George from the party pending inquiry, said DCC president I.C. Balakrishnan.
