Kerala: Police to book imam's brothers, cousins

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police here have decided to register cases against seven more people for helping former imam Shafeek

Al Qasimi

, who has been accused of sexually abusing a minor girl, evade arrest. They are the two brothers of Shafeek, two of his cousins and three SDPI leaders of Tholicode.


The police have found out that Shafeek's brothers Al Ameen and Noushad and cousins Sudheer and Ashraf had clear roles in helping him evade arrest. Among them, Noushad, Sudheer and Ashraf are still suspected to be with Shafeek.

Police had booked Shafeek two weeks ago and three days later his brothers were taken into custody from Ernakulam. However, police did not record their arrest. Instead, they kept summoning the brothers for questioning every day, hoping that it would force Shafeek to surrender.

"We will make alterations in the FIR in this regard and file a report before the court on Wednesday," said crime branch (rural) DSP D Asokan, the investigation officer. A fresh section, 228A of IPC, would be added in the FIR against Shafeek for revealing the name of the girl through social media. He had mentioned her name in a voice clip he circulated through WhatsApp, claiming his innocence.

He added that the names of the SDPI leaders could be revealed only after the report was filed before the court. They are accused of providing financial aid to Shafeek to remain in hiding.

Al Ameen had told the police during questioning that the two SDPI workers had visited Shafeek in his hideout at Permbavoor in Ernakulam and handed over a sum of Rs 2 lakh.

Shafeek has been on the run ever since he was caught by a group of Kudumbashree workers when he brought the 15-year-old girl to a deserted area near Peppara forest in his car. He managed to drop the girl at her residence before fleeing.

The police registered a case only a week after the incident was reported by the Kudumbashree woman as the family of the girl refused to give their statement against Shafeek.

The girl gave her statement against Shafeek only after she was shifted to a shelter home under the social justice department and was given counselling.