Two arrested for attempting to rape woman near Ernakulam South railway station

Kochi: Ernakulam Central police have arrested two men for attempting to rape a woman after holding her friend at knifepoint in an abandoned building near Ernakulam South railway station. The accused have been identified as Rahul, 39, from Chathannoor, Kollam, and Danish, 28, from Edava, Thiruvananthapuram. The case pertains to the assault that occurred on Tuesday at a deserted building near Ernakulam South railway station. Around 9pm, a young man and woman, who were friends, entered the building to avoid getting wet in the rain and moved to the upper floor as the rain intensified. The accused were drinking alcohol in the building at the time, police said. Police said that the friends did not notice the accused sitting there. The accused followed them upstairs, assaulted the male friend, threatened him with a knife and attempted to rape the complainant. The woman managed to escape with her male friend after biting one of the accused. They immediately reported the incident to the police control room. The police soon arrived, but the accused already fled. Police said that initially, the woman was hesitant to file a complaint due to severe mental distress, but Ernakulam Central assistant police commissioner Premananda Krishna took the initiative to provide counselling. She filed a complaint at the police station the next day. A case was registered at the Central police station, and a special investigation team led by inspector Jijo was formed to begin the investigation. Sources said that the biggest challenge for the police was the lack of evidence identifying the accused, as there were no CCTV cameras in the building where the crime occurred. Crucial information was obtained from a bike used by one of the accused, leading the police to them. The accused were staying in abandoned houses, avoiding their own homes. Both had more than 10 previous cases against them. The main accused, Danish, attempted to escape by jumping into a canal after attacking the police. He was later captured. The investigation team included sub-inspectors Harikrishnan, Ramlal, Shaji and Subodh, assistant sub inspector Molly, SCPO Rajeev, and CPOs Unnikrishnan, Harish and Vijesh. The accused were presented in court and remanded.