Pathanamthitta:

Nine more persons were taken into custody for allegedly raping a Dalit girl, who is an athlete, at various locations when she was a minor, police on Saturday said. According to the police, 15 persons have been held in connection with the case so far.

Six persons were arrested on Friday after registering five FIRs in two police stations in the Pathanamthitta district, they added.

The arrests were made based on the statement of an 18-year-old girl, who alleged she had been subjected to rape multiple times since the age of 16, the police said.

The police added that they received evidence indicating that the girl was exploited by individuals including her coaches, fellow athletes, and classmates.

As per the statement of the girl, she had used her father’s mobile phone to communicate with the suspects and 40 persons have been identified by verifying the phone details and the information from the diary in her possession, police sources said.

Over 60 people are suspected to be involved in the case and FIRs have been filed in various police stations in Pathanamthitta, they added. The arrest of those in custody will be recorded by Saturday evening, they added.

As the incidents occurred when she was a minor, sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, also would be invoked against the accused, a top police official said.

Meanwhile, the Pathanamthitta Child Welfare Committee (CWC) stated that individuals outside the Pathanamthitta district might also be involved in the case.

According to the CWC chairman, the girl had been a victim of sexual exploitation since the age of 13. As it was an unusual case, she was referred to a psychologist for more in-depth counseling, he told a news channel. The CWC also revealed that several phone numbers of potential suspects were found saved on her father’s phone.

A total of five FIRs have been registered in connection with the rape incident allegedly involving several people and more FIRs will be filed and more arrests will take place, police said.

The issue came to light during counselling conducted by the Child Welfare Committee, after the victim’s teachers at an educational institution informed the panel about noticeable changes in her behaviour. The committee subsequently notified the police, who initiated an investigation.

A special investigation team headed by Pathanamthitta DySP has been constituted to carry out the inquiry. A detailed investigation is underway, a top police officer said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thiruvananthapuram:

Kerala police have issued a notice to Google to remove apps from its Playstore that are selling fake lotteries online in the name of the lottery run by the state.

A similar notice was issued to Meta to remove advertisements of such fake lotteries from social media platforms Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram managed by it, the State Police Media Centre (SPMC) said in a release on Wednesday.

Police took the action after cyber patrolling revealed that 60 fake lottery apps, 25 fake Facebook profiles and 20 websites are connected to the scam, the SPMC release said.

It said that stringent legal action will be taken against those who are behind the fraud.

Giving details of the scam, the police said that fake advertisements in the name of ‘Kerala Megamillion Lottery’ and ‘Kerala Summer Season Dhamaka’ have been circulating on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram and Instagram for some time stating that lotteries run by the state government can be bought online.

People also get messages on their phones stating that the Kerala government has started an online lottery, and on spending Rs 40 rupees there is a chance to win up to Rs 12 crore, it said.

When a person sends Rs 40 on the number mentioned in the message, they get a fake lottery ticket image on WhatsApp.

Later, when the draw time is over, the fraudsters send artificially fabricated results that show that the ticket held has won a prize of Rs 5 lakh, the release said.

Subsequently, someone claiming to be a government representative calls on the phone and asks the ‘ticket holder’ to transfer a certain amount to a bank account towards ‘GST’ and ‘stamp duty’ to receive the prize money, it said.

After the demanded amount is transferred, they ask for more money claiming that the RBI is holding on to the prize.

“Victims are provided with artificially produced documents and videos to make every step seem believable,” the SPMC release said.

The police have urged the public to be careful not to fall prey to such online lottery scams and to immediately call on the number 1930 if they suspect that a financial fraud is taking place.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thiruvananthapuram:

The Kerala police have launched an investigation into an alleged social media campaign against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Facebook post requesting help for the people affected by the landslides in Wayanad district.

The State Police Media Centre (SPMC) on Thursday said that the Wayanad Cybercrime police has registered a case under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Disaster Management Act and launched a probe into the alleged spreading of a campaign with the intention of obstructing relief efforts.

The SPMC, in its statement, further said that the fake campaign was circulated on social media platform X from a handle called ‘Koyikodans 2.0’.

The post was aimed at motivating people to reject the Chief Minister’s appeal for disaster relief, it said.

The police warned of strict legal action under the law against those who edit, produce and disseminate fake posts in such a way so as to spread misconceptions.

For this, the cyber police have intensified monitoring of social media.

Vijayan had called upon everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) in order to help those affected by the landslides.

Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains hit Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha hamlets in the early hours of Tuesday, killing several people, including women and children. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kannur:

A police driver has been booked for attempt to murder after he dashed into a petrol pump employee and drove with the man on the bonnet on being asked to pay for the fuel he filled, police said on Monday.

The accused has been arrested and suspended from service, they said.

Kannur city police commissioner Ajith Kumar said various sections including attempt to murder were imposed against the accused and he was suspended from the service.

The arrest of the accused was recorded on Monday, police added.

The employee, Anil, was attacked when the police driver allegedly tried to leave without paying the amount for the fuel on Sunday evening, police said.

CCTV visuals of the man, clinging to the bonnet of the speeding car as it travelled along a busy highway for nearly one kilometer, went viral on social media platforms soon.

In the video, Anil can be seen having an argument with the accused, identified as K Santhosh Kumar.

As the argument escalated, the driver suddenly accelerated the car, where the petrol pump employee was thrown onto the bonnet of the vehicle. The car with the staff on the bonnet travelled and stopped after covering nearly a kilometer along the busy road.

Anil, who suffered injuries to his hands, later lodged a complaint with the Town Police. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thiruvananthapuram:

The Kerala Cyber Police registered a case on Thursday after an announcement was made on social media that the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) question paper and answer key were for sale.

After completing MBBS studies abroad, those who wish to practice in India are required to pass the FMGE conducted by the National Board of Examinations.

A state police spokesperson said that the City Cyber Crime Police in Thiruvananthapuram have registered a case against groups that advertised the sale of question papers for the July 6 exam on Telegram groups.

The case was registered under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024, making it the first case of its kind in the state to be registered under this law, the spokesperson said in a statement.

As part of efforts to detect such frauds, the Cyber Division of the Police has started 24×7 cyber patrolling on social media platforms, including various Telegram channels, it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kottayam, Kerala:

A priest was hit by a vehicle near a church in Krerala’s Kottayam a day ago by some boys for objecting to their high speed driving within the grounds of the place of worship, police said today.

According to police, the incident occurred on Friday afternoon at the St Mary’s Forane Church at Poonjar.

A group of boys in several vehicles, including motorcycles, arrived at the church after their school exam, drove at high speed and made a lot of noise there, police said.

When one of the priests saw what was happening, he asked the boys to leave as prayers were going on in the church, it said.

However, as the boys did not heed him, he tried to close the gates of the church and that is when he was first hit on the hand by one of the motorcycles and thereafter, one of the cars hit him from behind.

Following the incident, the boys were taken into custody and a protest was held within the church grounds by other priests.

The cars and two-wheelers used by the boys were also taken into custody, police said.

The priest was admitted to a private hospital for treatment and presently is in a stable condition, it said.

Meanwhile, Kerala Congress(M) chairman Jose K Mani demanded strict action against those who trespassed into the church and allegedly attacked the priest with a vehicle.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)