Theatre owner held for hiding minor girl’s molestation

MALAPPURAM: In a strange development, a cinema theatre owner who informed Childline about a molestation of a minor girl inside the cinema hall during the show in Edappal near here along with video clippings of the incident, was arrested by special investigation team of police alleging delay in informing the police. Police team headed by DYSP Saji

of District Crime Records Bureau arrested the owner of Edappal Govinda theatre EC Satheesh, 55, ‘for committing lapses in informing the police about the incident’. Satheesh was later released on bail.

The police, who waited until a private local television channel aired the news to register a case, so far arrested Moideen Kutty, 60, on May 12 for molesting the girl and victim’s mother next day in connection with the case. The duo was slapped under POCSO and various sections of the IPC. Later Sub Inspector of Changaramkulam police KG Baby and a special branch oficial attached to the station had been suspended from service for lapses in taking proper action on time.

The incident of sexual abuse of 10year old girl by a 60 year old man inside cinema hall with active connivance of her mother occurred on April 18. The Childline authorities had received a complaint regarding the abuse along with visual, from theatre management on April 25 and on April 26 they forwarded the complaint to Chang ar am ku lam police for further action. But police did not take any action on the complaint, until a TV channel aired the CCTV footage of the incident on May 12. After the news appeared in media, police registered a case regarding the incident and arrested the main accused Moideen Kutty, native of Thrithala, along with the mother of the girl.

The CCTV clip of the incident on April 18, showed the prime accused Moideen Kutty of sexually abusing the girl through the duration of the movie. The victim’s mother was sitting next to them without intervening.

Commenting on the development former DGP TP Senkumar said that the arrest of the theatre owner who was instrumental in bringing the issue to light by handing over the visual to Childline volunteers, is a revengeful act. “The arrest of theatre owner is totally wrong. Society should not allow police to get away with such actions. They were apparently waiting for a chance to take a case against the theatre owner”, Senkumar said.