IT employee assault case: Accused identified and arrested in Madurai

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The IT employee who was attacked inside her hostel room in Kazhakoottam has identified the accused. Police have confirmed that Benjamin (35), a native of Madurai, was the man who broke into the womens hostel and attempted to assault her. After harassing the woman, the accused fled towards Attingal and later escaped to Madurai, where he was arrested on Sunday. According to the police, Benjamin is a lorry driver with a criminal background. He had entered the hostel with the intent to steal but attempted to sexually assault the woman during the break-in. His lorry has also been taken into police custody. He will be produced before the court, and further evidence will be collected following custodial interrogation. The incident occurred around 2 am on Friday when the accused forcibly opened the door of the hostel room, covered the womans mouth, and tried to strangle her while threatening to kill her if she screamed. The woman filed a complaint with Kazhakoottam police at around 7 am the same day. As there were no CCTV cameras installed in the hostel, police initially had no leads on the suspect. A special investigation team led by Kazhakoottam Assistant Commissioner P. Anilkumar, along with inspectors from Kazhakoottam, Thumba, and Peroorkada stations, and the City DANSAF squad, launched a search operation. The team traced the accuseds movements and apprehended him on his way home to Tamil Nadu with his lorry. Police stated that the accused was a regular driver who frequently travelled to Thiruvananthapuram. He was identified within 24 hours of the incident and arrested within two days.