Kochi: Kochi City Police investigating the Edappally gang rape case conducted evidence collection in a room at a lodge in Kunnumpuram, where the alleged crime occurred, and two spas, named Delight and Royal, run by the accused.
The arrested persons are Sreeraj, 30, of Karthikappally in Alappuzha, Jith Martin, 27, of Thevakkal, Sharanya Sasi alias Ammu, 30, of SN Puram in Alappuzha and Sanjay V S, 21, of Thrissur.
City police commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said that the survivor has given a detailed statement about the role of the woman and that she went to the lodge in the confidence that a woman was present but instead she too attacked her. The police said that the accused were running around five spas and they were shut down pending enquiry into alleged illegal activities connected to them. The commissioner said that they are considering making a police clearance certificate mandatory for those running spas. The survivor’s husband said that her health has improved and she has given a statement to the police about two more persons who were at the lodge when the alleged crime occurred. He added that the survivor told him that she was made to inhale a narcotic substance and she became unconscious when she was given some intoxicants mixed in water.
The police have arrested four accused, including a woman who also allegedly assaulted the survivor.
who were arrested earlier, are in police custody While Sreeraj and Jith. Sharanya and Sanjay, who were arrested on Wednesday, have been remanded to judicial custody.
A senior officer said that samples collected from the survivor have tested positive for methamphetamine and it is suspected that the accused allegedly forced her to consume the drugs before assaulting her.