Man held in attempted house break-in identified as accused in lady doctor attack case
Nov 02, 2022
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 2 : A person arrested in an attempted house break-in case has been identified as the accused in the attack on a lady doctor outside the Napier museum on Wednesday.
The accused, according to the complainant, works as a driver for the additional private secretary of Kerala's Irrigation minister Roshy Augustine.
The doctor was out for a morning walk when she was attacked outside Napier museum around 4.30 am on Wednesday.
A case has been registered under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
It turns out that the police had previously arrested Santhosh for trying to break into a house near Kuravankonam last week. The house owner lodged a complaint with the police saying the accused is the same person whose picture was released by the sleuths in connection with the attack on the lady doctor. His picture was sourced from CCTV footage in the wake of the attack. The lady doctor later identified the accused as her attacker, at the police station.
The sleuths have learned that the accused, who was hired on contract as a driver for the state water resources department, drove the official vehicle for personal use last night.
The state irrigation minister confirmed that the accused was a contract employee of the water resources department and was recruited through an agency sourcing contractual workers. Roshy Augustine said he has already issued necessary directions to have him removed from duty.
However, responding to the development, Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly D Satheeshan said, "It is very unfortunate that a contractual staff of the minister's office is involved in the incident. It is surprising that nobody in the minister's office recognised this person even after the police put out his picture in connection with the case. This suggests that someone in the minister's office may have been trying to shield him."
"There's always a risk of a contractual driver misusing the official vehicle. Such things can happen if no one checks the logbook," the Congress leader added.
