Kollam police arrest 'child rapist' in Riyadh

Kollam: A police team led by city police commissioner Merin Joseph has arrested a man, accused of raping a 13-year-old girl, who later committed suicide, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the help of the Interpol.

The accused, Sunilkumar Bhadran (38) of Oachira, had been absconding since 2017. He will be brought to Oachira, via Nedumbassery, on Wednesday.

Though Saudi Arabia and India had signed an extradition treaty in 2010, there were no efforts on the part of the governments to implement the agreement.

Sunilkumar was working in Riyadh for several years, police said. While holidaying in Kerala in 2017 he befriended the girl’s paternal uncle, and taking advantage of the friendship, he started abusing the girl belonging to a scheduled caste community.

The girl later revealed the abuse to her class teacher, who alerted the Childline.

A Childline inquiry found the girl had been repeatedly abused, and subsequently, a police case was registered. The girl was shifted to a shelter home at Karikode, where she, along with another inmate, committed suicide. Meanwhile, the accused had left for Riyadh.

Police said they issued a red corner notice after efforts to bring him back failed. After he was detained in the Kingdom, the Interpol alerted the CBI.

Commissioner Joseph was accompanied by ACP (crime records bureau) M Anil Kumar, and Oachira police inspector R Prakash.