Dalit girl missing case: CB arrests key accused after 15 years
Fifteen years after a 17-year-old Dalit girl went missing from Kanhangad, the Kerala Crime Branch confirmed that it was a case of murder and arrested the main accused, Biju Paulose, 52, a civil contractor and motivational speaker from Panathur.
The case saw progress after a bone fragment and a necklace found near the Kasaragod coast in 2010 were recently identified as belonging to the missing girl. During questioning, Biju reportedly confessed to killing the girl.
The girl, a native of Balamthode in Kasaragod, had come to Kanhangad to undergo a teacher training course and stayed in a hostel. She was last seen on June 6, 2010. Her father had filed a missing person's complaint on January 19, 2011.
According to the Crime Branch (CB), the accused was allegedly in a relationship with the girl and reportedly misrepresented his marital status. The accused reportedly lived with the girl in a rented house at Madiyan, Kanhangad, posing as her brother. According to the CB, an argument over Biju's marital status is believed to have occurred before the alleged murder.
The case was reopened after the girl's family moved the High Court in 2021, seeking a thorough investigation. A CB investigation, overseen by P. Prakash, Inspector General of Police, eventually led to Biju's arrest in Wayanad on Friday night (May 16).
Biju has been booked on charges of rape and kidnapping under relevant Sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Addressing the media, Mr. Prakash said a murder charge would be added if the DNA test confirmed the identity of the recovered remains.
The investigation was led by Mr. P. Prakash, with a team comprising Superintendent of Police Prajeesh Thottathil, DySP Madhusoodhanan Nair, Inspector Sreekumar M., P.M. Libi, Sub-inspectors Raghunath (Trikaripur) and M. Manoj (Nileswararm), Assistant Sub-inspector Rathi (Odayanchal) and cyber and civil police officers.
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