Anilkumar T By

Express News Service

KOCHI: The sexual abuse case involving three minor sisters has snowballed into a major incident with the police extending the probe based on the statement given by one of the minors. The police will collect details on the alleged involvement of clergy and Christian institutions after the minor girl submitted that she and her two sisters were sexually abused allegedly at the clergy institution for over a period of five years.According to police officers, the minors had also given a statement that they were also sexually molested at two other institutions managed by clergy.

“As per the statement, the minor girls were also molested at two Christian institutions. The minors were taken to these places from their school located at Kakkanad. The girls were also given drug-laced candies for taking them to these places in a van,” said a police officer.The Central Police Station has registered an FIR based on the statement of the elder sister.

The incident came to light when the father of the three minors submitted a habeas corpus before the high court alleging his wife and children were illegally detained by Sebastian Kundukulam at Unnieshobhavan, Coimbatore. Based on this, the court issued a directive to produce them before the court. When they brought them, the court interacted with them and later submitted some disclosures by the mother and the minors warranting a registration of a crime under the POCSO Act.

“Investigation in the case based on the deposition of the eldest child is going in full swing. We are looking into all the angles of the allegation. Since it is a serious allegation the steps will be initiated with proper precaution. We are also looking why the school issued a transfer certificate to the eldest one before the board examination,” said a police officer. Meanwhile, the counselling session to the minors was also completed on Wednesday. “We will again take statements from the minors in the case,” said the police.