Ex-Congress leader in Kerala OM George accused of raping tribal minor girl surrenders

OM George, a Congress leader from Wayanad had allegedly been sexually abusing the 17-yr old survivor for over a year.

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Less than a week after he absconded after being booked for raping a 17-yr old tribal girl, former Congress leader and Panchayat president of Sultan Batheri, OM George, surrendered before the Mananthavady SMS police on Tuesday.

The 68-year-old had allegedly been sexually abusing the minor for over a year. The survivor’s father was a domestic help in George’s house and she used to occasionally visit the house to help her father, according to the police.

“He surrendered before the police as he had no choice. We had jammed him from everywhere and he could not move,” an officer from Mananthavady SMS station told TNM.

According to police, George had fled for a few days to Tamil Nadu and then to Karnataka.

“From their house in Sultan Batheri, both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are not too far off. We received information that he had tried to flee to both these states,” the officer added.

George is booked under sections 376 (2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code (being in a position of control or dominance over a woman, commits rape repeatedly on the same woman, section 5 (penetrative sexual assault on child) and section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault on child) of the POCSO Act and sections 3(2)(v) and 3(1)(w1) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989).

Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act states that any offence under IPC punishable for a term of 10 years or more against person or property will be punished with life term and fine, on the grounds that person or owner of property belongs to SC/ST community.

Section 3(1)(w1) of the SC/ST Act deals with punishment for a person who, not being a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, intentionally touches a woman belonging to SC/ST in a sexual nature and without the consent of the recipient, knowing that she belongs to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.

His arrest will be recorded on Tuesday and he will subsequently be presented before the district magistrate.

Following the case, George was also suspended from the Wayanad Congress, where he was a member.

Also read: Cong leader in Kerala held for sexually assaulting minor daughter of domestic worker