Thiruvananthapuram: Two individuals, including the maternal aunt of a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted at a Kovalam spa, were detained by law enforcement on Monday. Authorities have formed a nine-member Special Investigation Team to handle the probe, and an additional FIR was filed after the victim revealed she suffered further alleged abuse at a spa in Chennai.
Addressing a press conference, Thiruvananthapuram Fort Assistant Commissioner of Police Pradeep stated that the inquiry commenced after the victim's maternal aunt, who had been raising the child, filed a missing person complaint on September 21. Officers located the girl the following day alongside a young man who worked with her at a spa.
Investigators identified inconsistencies regarding the teenager's age after discovering two separate Aadhaar cards stored on her mobile phone. While one document listed her age as 20, the second indicated she was 16 years old. Based on the adult identification card, the court initially permitted her to leave.
However, skeptical detectives contacted the teenager's former school in Andhra Pradesh to verify her birth records. School documentation confirmed she was 16, fundamentally altering the scope of the legal proceedings.
Authorities transferred the girl to the Child Welfare Committee in Poojappura on September 23, where she received professional counselling via a translator. During these sessions, she reported being brought to a Kollam area spa in late June or early July, remaining there for roughly two months before spending four days at a secondary spa.
Law enforcement subsequently arrested the owners of both spa establishments, who remain remanded in judicial custody. The victim additionally informed authorities that she had worked at a spa in Guduvanchery near Chennai, where she encountered comparable abuse.
Based on these disclosures, a zero FIR was initiated and forwarded to the Guduvanchery police station in Tamil Nadu for further handling. Meanwhile, the victim's maternal aunt and her husband dropped out of contact, leading investigators to track them to Palasamudram within Andhra Pradesh's Sri Sathya Sai district.
Both suspects were secured from their residence under the jurisdiction of the Gorantla police station. Officers are currently finalizing administrative protocols and plan to have the victim formally identify the detained couple as the investigation continues.
According to police, the teenager lost both parents at the age of two and was subsequently raised by her maternal aunt. Investigators noted that further developments will rely on ongoing inquiries, emphasizing that additional details cannot be released while the case remains at a preliminary stage.
The newly formed Special Investigation Team comprises nine personnel drawn from the Crime Branch and the Narcotics Cell, with the Kollam Circle Inspector leading the operational probe. Concurrently, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has initiated formal proceedings based on media coverage of the incident, requesting detailed reports from the District Police Chief, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Secretary, and the District Child Protection Officer.