Following confirmed reports that the accused in the Pantheerankavu domestic violence case in Kerala reached Germany in his attempts to evade the investigators, the police have started the legal proceedings to bring him back to the country with the support of international crime investigation agencies.
A Blue Corner notice was issued by Interpol on May 17 following a request sent through the Ministry of External Affairs to locate the accused in Germany, verify his identity and other related information as part of the continuing investigation.
According to police sources, Rahul. P. Gopal, the accused in the case, left the country soon after the case was taken up by a special investigation team (SIT). The 29-year-old reportedly boarded a flight from the Bengaluru airport to reach Singapore first and then leave for his workplace in Germany, they said.
Friend detained
Rajesh Kalyani Nilayam, a Mankavu native who reportedly facilitated the escape of the man to Bengaluru, was detained by the special investigation team for further interrogation on May 17. The 32-year old man, a close friend of Rahul, was detained on the basis of statements of some of local residents.
Police officers associated with the probe said the statements of the survivor and her family members had already been recorded. A case would be registered against the family members of the accused on completion of gathering further evidence and examination of CCTV visuals. As part of the procedures, the survivor’s statement would be recorded again in front of a Magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), they added.
While giving her statement, the survivor also accused her husband of forcing her to consume alcohol. She also revealed to the police some of his “eccentric behaviours” and said he married her without revealing anything about his two previous marriages. In the police investigation, it was found that he had not secured divorce legally from one of the women.
It was on May 5 that the wedding between Rahul and the North Paravoor native took place. Details of the alleged physical torture and domestic violence came to light when the girl’s parents came to see her at Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode on May 12. Though they took up the issue with the Pantheerankavu police, there were no hopeful responses.
The probe got on track after the family approached the State Police Chief and the Kerala Chief Minister for action. The Pantheerankavu Station House Officer was then placed under suspension after he was found responsible for cold-shouldering the probe and denying justice to the survivor.
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission and the Kerala State Women’s Commission also registered separate cases, apart from seeking reports from the police higher-ups regarding the alleged lapse.
