Malappuram: A case has been registered against the owner of the Malappuram theatre, where a minor was molested by 60-year-old businessman Moideen.
The case has been registered for a delay in informing the police or the child helpline about the crime.
“The theatre owner has been arrested and released on bail. The incident took place on April 18 but the child helpline was informed only on 25th,” said Palakkad SP Prateesh Kumar.
“The case has been registered under POCSO Act Section 19(1),” he added.
The accused, Moideen, had accompanied the minor and her mother to the theatre. CCTV visuals of the theatre showed the 60-year-old sitting in the middle and indulging in a consensual act with the mother while also molesting the child.
While the police are claiming that the CCTV footage was being monitored and they should have been informed earlier, counter allegations claim the authorities did not react to the complaint.
The police allegedly swung into action only when the footage was accessed by the media. While the accused was arrested under IPC Section 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman) and the POCSO Act, Changaramkulam Sub-Inspector KG Baby was suspended for the delay in the probe.
Meanwhile, the minor was taken away from her mother’s custody and placed under the protection of the child welfare committee.
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