Woman, among 4, held for rape of model in moving vehicle

Kerala police on Saturday said they have recorded the arrest of four people, including a woman, in connection with the alleged gangrape of a 19-year old model in a moving car, police said.

Three men, natives of Kodungallur, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen, hailing from Kasaragod, in their vehicle on Thursday night, city police commissioner C H Nagaraju said.

The police said the accused woman, who is a known person to the victim, hails from Rajasthan and also works as a model here.

Police said they have arrested Vivek, Sudhi and Nithin and said they were investigating into the background of the accused and produce them before court tonight.

The police commissioner, who spoke to reporters here, said there was an element of trafficking also involved in the incident.

''There is an element of trafficking in this. Section 370 involving anti-human trafficking has also been added in the FIR as a person has been moved from one place to another for this purpose,'' the police said.

They said they have added various provisions including sections for criminal conspiracy, rape and kidnapping, among others.

The victim, who was staying at Kakkanad in the city, was invited to a DJ party by her friend, a Rajasthani woman, and was introduced to the men, police had said on Friday after taking the accused into custody.

The accused took the model in their vehicle after she got drunk at a bar and allegedly gangraped her on Thursday, the police said.

''Medical evidence suggests she was injured. After committing the crime, the men dropped the victim at Kakkanad,'' said a police official.

The matter came to light after it was reported to the police by a private hospital, where the victim was admitted by her roommate on early Friday. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan attacked the Left government over the incident and said it happened despite 24 hours police surveillance. ''Kochi has become the hub of drug use and related crimes. The news report that a 19-year-old was raped in a moving vehicle in the city was shocking. The police came to know about the incident only after her friend informed the police...,'' he said.

Kerala Women's Commission chief P Sathidevi said the issue of gangrape in the city was a matter of grave concern.

''The reports say they all (accused) were drunk at that time. This is at a time when the State government is organising a anti-drug campaign... there may be arguments that both men and women have the right to consume alcohol. But, the latest incident shows how alcoholism can impact our safety in society. We need to remain cautious so that such incidents do not recur,'' Sathidevi said at an event.