11-year-old boy assaulted in hostel in Kollam; warden, staff held

Thiruvananthapuram: An 11-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to brutal assault inside a hostel attached to Living Water Bible College at Piravanthur, prompting the arrest of two employees by Punalur police.The arrested have been identified as hostel warden Biju, 37, of Vazhayil, Vechuchira, Ranni, and staff member Tom, 20, of Thannichalil, Melethil, Kunnikode. The incident occurred around 7pm on Thursday. The victim, Cletus, 11, son of Sunil and Sunitha of Ezhamkulam, was allegedly attacked on suspicion of stealing Rs 500. Police said the boy's hands and legs were tied using plastic ropes and he was hung upside down from a ceiling fan hook. He was physically assaulted during the incident. A fellow student, in a statement to police, said the warden restrained the boy and carried out the assault. The incident came to light following a complaint, after which police registered a case and took the accused into custody. The two were arrested and booked for various offences under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said. Tension prevailed at the institution when police brought the accused for evidence collection. Activists of CPI and CPM staged protests at the site. Piravanthur grama panchayat president Shirley Gopinath and vice-president A Najeeb Khan visited the campus. AISF activists also held a demonstration demanding strict action.Cletus had been staying at the institution for the past one-and-a-half years. The facility functions as both an orphanage and a Bible college and is reportedly run under a trust headed by a Punalur native. Though the institution received state approval under provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act in 2017 to house a limited number of children, locals alleged discrepancies in its functioning. Residents claimed the centre has been operating for over a decade and raised concerns about inadequate accommodation and lack of basic safety measures. The boy does not have any health problems as a consequence of the assault and is fine, police said. The case was registered after the boy told his parents, and his father filed a complaint with the police. Police said further investigation is under way.