A 26-year-old married father of two from Kozhikode named Fazil Bazil was arrested for grooming and kidnapping a 16-year-old girl, a secondary school student from Arnamula, close to Pathanamthitta, Kerala. Basil took her to numerous locations in Chennai and repeatedly sexually abused her.
The abduction, using emotional manipulation, took place on the 28th of last month. The minor girl was kidnapped in Pathanamthitta from close to her school. The suspect lured the girl through Instagram and threatened to kill himself by jumping in front of a bus if she did not come with him. The frightened girl agreed.
When the child’s family discovered she was missing, her relatives alleged grooming and complained to the police. After ensuring that he would return the child, the accused immediately switched off both their mobile phones. This made it challenging for police to trace them. The child’s father is abroad.
Finally, crucial CCTV footage led to a breakthrough in the investigation. After learning that the girl and Fazil were in Chennai, Pathanamthitta district police chief Swapnil M Mahajan IPS sent an investigation team there. The police team was able to find the accused after precisely two weeks.
A special investigation team formed under the leadership of Pathanamthitta DySP Nandakumar found the girl. Police recorded the girl’s statement, revealing that Fazil sexually assaulted her several times at various lodges in Chennai. The accused was produced in court and remanded.
