Intruder nabbed from TN for assault bid on techie

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police on Sunday nabbed the intruder who broke into a womens hostel in Kazhakoottam and attempted to sexually assault an IT professional, 48 hours after the incident that took place on Friday. The accused, whose name has been withheld by the police as the identification parade is yet to be conducted, was arrested from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. He is a truck driver who had been undertaking trips in Thiruvananthapuram, the police said. His arrest is yet to be recorded. In the absence of any solid leads from the hostel the place had no camera and was found severely lacking in security measures the police relied on the footage from over 50 CCTV cameras from the Technopark area and the statement of the survivor to zero in on the suspect and launched a search. A special investigation team comprising three station house officers and members of the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force launched a search. As per sources, the suspect had gone into hiding and was caught after an intense chase on Sunday morning. He was brought to the Kazhakoottam police station around 7.30pm. The alleged assault took place at the Kazhakoottam hostel in the early hours of Friday morning, while the survivor was asleep in her hostel room. The man allegedly entered her room and tried to sexually assault her at knifepoint. However, the woman bravely managed to push him away when she got a chance and screamed, forcing him to flee. On Friday morning, she informed the hostel authorities and filed a complaint with the police. An SIT was formed under the supervision of the Kazhakoottam ACP to track down the culprit. DCP T Farash said there was no initial information about the suspect. The victim had described a completely unknown person. We tracked over 50 CCTV cameras and vehicle movements to identify the suspect on Saturday. We traced his movements and took him into custody. Based on the information we have, the suspects details match. Further investigation is required to determine his motive. The victim still has to formally identify him and scientific evidence needs to be matched. He has admitted to the crime, he said. Locals concerned The incident has triggered widespread concern among techies and other hostel residents in the area. The police have now issued directives asking all hostels in Kazhakoottam to ensure adequate security, install CCTV cameras and appoint security personnel. There have been complaints in the past about anti-social elements causing trouble near womens hostels in the Kazhakoottam area. Incidents of indecent exposure in front of the hostels were also reported. Footage from over 50 cameras checked In the absence of any solid leads from the hostel the place had no camera the police relied on footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras from the Technopark area and the statement of the victim to identify the suspect and take him into custody.