By Express News Service

KANNUR: A 22-year-old youth was arrested by Taliparamba police for allegedly sexually abusing a minor girl. According to police, AV Wahid of Koyyam Perunthileri took the girl, a Class IX student, to a rubber estate at Kolathur, on the pretext of offering to take her to school, and then abused her on January 20. The girl was waiting for a bus, to reach her school when Wahid picked her up.

Wahid

Wahid, who is a mechanic by profession, used to befriend several high school and Plus Two girls on ShareChat, where he also met the victim. The police began a search for the accused after the girl’s parents lodged a complaint. A team, led by Taliparamba CI KN Sathyanathan, arrested Wahid from an abandoned shop belonging to the accused’s relative at Boat Kadavu, Koyyam on Wednesday. He has been booked under the Pocso Act.

According to police, Wahid had introduced himself as Hussain Karimbam on ShareChat. A cyber probe revealed that Wahid used three smartphones to chat with girls and send sleazy video clips. He also recorded videos of the girls he had sexually abused. The police have also begun a search for Wahid’s friends, who are presumed to be involved in the cases. Wahid used to receive the phone number of girls through mobile recharge centres. The accused used to collect details of the girls’ families, before pursuing the victim. “We have only begun the probe. We hope to receive more details in the coming days,” said a police official.

Taliparamba SI KP Shine, ASI A G Abdul Rauf, senior CPOs Snehesh, Girish, CPOs Dinesh and Vipin were part of the probe. Wahid was presented before the court and remanded in judicial custody for two weeks.