Keralam Spa Assault Case: Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Health Inspector Arrested
Following his arrest, Anuroop was suspended by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor V V Rajesh: Reports
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A health inspector of the Thiruvananthapuram corporation was arrested on Tuesday in a case related to the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh at a spa in Kovalam here, police said.The health inspector, Anuroop, was arrested as there were some cash transactions involving him and the establishment, police said.
An officer of Kovalam police station said that Anuroop did not own the spa.
Following his arrest, Anuroop was suspended by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor V V Rajesh.
The health inspector was arrested by the nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the case.
The investigation began after the girl's maternal aunt, who raised her, filed a missing complaint on September 21.
After the girl was found, during counselling, she disclosed that she had been brought to a spa in the Kollam area in late June or early July and had stayed there for around two months. She had subsequently spent about four days at another spa.
Based on the investigation, police arrested the owners of the two spas, and they are in judicial custody.
The girl also told investigators that she had worked at a spa in Guduvanchery, near Chennai, where she was allegedly subjected to similar abuse.
A zero FIR was registered in connection with that and forwarded to the concerned police station in Chennai, police said.
The girl's maternal aunt and her husband subsequently went missing, prompting police to trace them to Palasamudram in Andhra Pradesh's Sri Sathya Sai district.
They were taken into custody from their residence within the limits of the Gorantla police station on Monday.
Police said that the girl lost both her parents when she was around two years old and had since been raised by her maternal aunt.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also registered a case over the alleged sexual assault of the 16-year-old at a spa in Kovalam.
The commission, on Monday, sought reports from the District Police Chief, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Secretary and the District Child Protection Officer regarding the matter.