Martin taken for evidence collection

Kochi: City police, probing the

apartment torture case

in which a woman was restrained, tortured and sexually assaulted in an apartment at Marine drive, collected evidence along with the accused,

Martin Joseph

, at the flat in

Marine Drive

where the woman was assaulted and also at

Thrikkakara

where he reportedly stayed while in hiding.

Police are interrogating him now and sources said that bank details of the accused were also being collected as part of the investigation into his financial dealings and sources of income.

He is likely to be taken to Thrissur, including to his native place, and locations under Peramangalam police station limits where he stayed in hiding, for evidence collection on Thursday.

The accused was remanded in police custody for four days on Tuesday and must be produced in court by Friday evening.

Meanwhile, sources said that Dhaneesh (29), one of the three persons taken in custody for harbouring the accused and facilitating his escape, turned Covid positive. The investigation team was reportedly planning to take the co-accused into custody and it seems the plan will have to be postponed considering the detection of the infection. Several policemen were also in contact with these accused.

Martin was booked under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 344 (wrongful confinement for 10 days or more), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means or weapons) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property).

Even as Martin was on the run in connection with this case, one more case was registered against him at Vanitha Police station in Kochi based on the complaint filed by a Kakkanad woman. She had complained that she was assaulted by Martin who wanted to stay at her flat while he was in hiding. Investigation team is also probing this complaint against him.