Thrissur: Youth murders six-year-old boy for resisting sexual assault

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a tragic incident, a six-year-old boy was murdered by a young man in Mala, Thrissur district, after the child attempted to resist and report an attempted sexual assault.

The boy's body was discovered in a pond near a paddy field adjacent to his home on Thursday.

The police have arrested a 22-year-old man identified as Jojo. He is also a suspect in a theft case and is currently out on bail.

According to the police, Jojo confessed to drowning the child by covering his face and pushing him underwater, fearing that the boy would inform his mother about the attempted abuse. The police have charged the accused with murder, abduction, and offenses under the POCSO Act.

The child had left home to play with friends but went missing around 6 PM on Thursday. When he did not return, his family reported his disappearance to the Mala police. A search operation was conducted by the police and fire rescue personnel, during which the boy's body was found around 9:30 PM in a muddy pond nearby.

Local residents informed the police that they had seen Jojo with the child in the field earlier that evening. CCTV footage from the area also showed Jojo walking with the boy, raising suspicions about his involvement. What shocked the community was that Jojo participated in the search effort, which the police believe was a tactic to divert attention. Rural SP B. Krishnakumar stated that there appeared to be an attempt to mislead the authorities.

Jojo was taken to the site on Friday for evidence collection, where a large crowd gathered as he revealed details about the incident.