Successful businessman Moideenkutty, accused in the Edappal theatre child abuse case, had furiously protested against the brutal gangrape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua recently, and had a sparkling reputation among local people at Thrithala. Ironically, he has now been accused of abusing a minor like the Kathua girl.
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Moideenkutty, who has a share in several jewellery outlets in India and in the Middle East, was called 'swarna kutty' or 'golden boy' by local people. He owns property and buildings at various places. Many had sought Moideenkutty's help, but he never used to keep close ties with anyone as he frequently travelled between home and the Gulf. The police have dismissed reports linking him to any political party.
The child and her mother used to live in one of the 10 properties that Kutty had let out. He had a close relationship with the woman, who has now been arrested for her role in facilitating the girl's abuse by the businessman.
After the CCTV visuals of the sexual abuse emerged, the woman had initially told the police that she did not know that the man had preyed upon the child at the cinema theatre at Edappal. She even claimed that she had met him at the theatre accidentally.
However, she could not hold on to this stand after tough grilling, and soon admitted that this was not the first time that Moideenkutty had abused the girl. According to the remand report, Moideenkutty had abused the girl at her rented house with the consent of her mother.
Shoranur DSP P.N. Muraleedharan said the police will examine if Moideenkutty is linked to any other abuse case. The investigators are likely to record the child's statement again. The idea is to obtain information on whether the child was abused by anybody else and whether the mother had abetted such crime before.