Thiruvananthapuram court hands 67-year jail term to man who kidnapped, sexually assaulted toddler

Thiruvananthapuram: The Additional District and Sessions Court here on Friday sentenced 45-year-old Hassan Kutty to 67 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹12 lakh for abducting and sexually assaulting a two-year-old girl.

The horrifying incident occurred on February 18, 2024, near the railway tracks in Chakkai, Thiruvananthapuram. The victim, a two-year-old daughter of a vagabond couple from Andhra Pradesh, was sleeping with her parents in a roadside tent when Hassan Kutty kidnapped and assaulted her.

After an extensive 19-hour search, the child was found unconscious in an area close to the railway station and was immediately taken to a shelter home managed by the Child Welfare Committee. DNA tests confirmed her identity.

Hassan Kutty, who had previously been accused in a POCSO case, was arrested in Kollam following a thorough police investigation. The probe faced challenges due to the lack of eyewitnesses, but CCTV footage from a nearby BrahMos facility helped identify the accused.

Further investigation revealed Hassan Kutty had worked in a tea stall in Aluva and was involved in another POCSO case there. After the crime, he reportedly shaved his head and fled to Palani with money earned from the shop. Police learned he frequently visited an ashram in Kollam, where undercover officers arrested him near a Bevco outlet.

Despite the absence of eyewitnesses, the court found Hassan Kutty guilty based on strong scientific and circumstantial evidence.