By Express News Service

KOCHI: In yet another child abuse case, the Kochi central police on Tuesday registered an FIR on the statements given by three minor sisters. Though a case under the POCSO Act has been registered, the police are yet to name any person. A Christian priest is allegedly involved, they said.

As per the girls’ statement, they and their mother were at a retreat centre at Madukkarai near Coimbatore. During prayer time, a woman at the centre had a revelation the elder girl, around 16 years old, is hiding something from them, the statement said. “When asked, the girl revealed they were sexually abused at their school at Kakkanad. They were also taken to other Christian establishments and subjected to sexual abuse there too,” the FIR said.

The police took the children for medical examination and shifted them to a children’s home. “We have registered an FIR. The allegations are very sensitive and we are probing them in detail,” said a cop.

The police said this may be a tip of the iceberg, and more children might have been lured to the retreat centre. The girls’ father had said Unnieshobhavan authorities were canvassing innocent people, particularly Kerala women, on false promises. Those who run the asylum were dismissed from the diocese for illegal activities and are maintaining the asylum to achieve their ill motives of keeping innocent in their custody in the name of Jesus.

Payyannur molestation bid accused held

Kannur: The accused in the case in which an attempt was made to molest a seven-year-old migrant girl sleeping with her parents at Payyannur, was arrested on Tuesday. The police said P T Baby Raj, 32, of Surabhi Nagar, Payyannur was nabbed from the Kannur Railway station. He had been absconding since the May 9 incident. A police team led by Payyannur SHO M P Asad nabbed the accused with the help of SP’s crime squad members. The assistance of the Cyber Cell was also instrumental in the arrest.

Theatre abuse: SI booked

Malappuram: A case has been registered against Changaramkulam SI K G Baby for the laxity in registering a case in the incident in which a minor girl was molested inside a cinema theatre in Edappal. The case has been registered under the POCSO Act. Baby was earlier suspended for delaying action on the abuse complaint. It is understood the SIT probing the incident will take the former police officer into custody soon. Meanwhile, taking note of the strong demands, the special police investigation team has decided to invoke more sections of the POCSO Act against the accused in the abuse case. District Crime Records Bureau DySP Saji Varghese, who is heading the probe, said a report requesting to change the sections was submitted in the court on Monday. The incident came to light after visuals of the incident were telecast on a channel.The State Women’s Commission has sought a report on the progress of the investigation in the case from the Malappuram District Police Chief “at the earliest.”

Woman held under POCSO charges

T’Puram: The Vellarada police on Tuesday arrested the mother of a 17-year-old girl for forcing her daughter into a physical relationship with her illicit lover. The cops said the 42-year-old woman had approached the police to complain about her missing daughter. The officers checked the belongings of the girl and came to know about the ordeal from her personal diary.The girl had mentioned about her mother’s wayward life and the pressure exerted on her to have a physical relationship with her mother’s secret lover.