Kerala: 2 government employees among 14 accused of raping 16-year-old boy; 9 arrested

NEW DELHI: Two government employees were among nine people arrested in Kerala's Kasaragod district for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy, whom the suspects befriended on a gay dating app.According to the PTI, the minor was abused for over two years at his home and at locations in Kannur and Kozhikode by 14 men. The crime surfaced when the boy’s mother spotted an unknown man at their house who fled on seeing her. On questioning her son, she learned of the assaults and alerted Child help line, which informed police. Based on the boy’s statement, 14 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have been registered over the past two days. A Special Investigation Team led by a DySP has been formed to probe eight cases linked to Kasaragod, while six others have been transferred to Kannur and Kozhikode.The remaining six cases have been transferred to Kozhikode and Kannur districts, where the boy was allegedly sexually assaulted, he said.The 14 accused in the matter are aged between 25 and 51 years and one of them is a Railways employee, police added.