Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 20 (IANS) A Tamil Nadu native arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a young IT professional at a women’s hostel in Kazhakkoottam near here has been identified as a history-sheeter, police said on Monday.

The arrested Benjamin was identified by the victim. According to the Kerala Police, who took Benjamin into custody on Sunday from Madurai, Benjamin is a lorry driver with a criminal record. He has now confessed to the crime during interrogation.

He was arrested in Madurai in a coordinated operation involving the Kerala and Tamil Nadu police.

The incident occurred in the wee hours of Friday when the 25-year-old IT lady professional was staying alone in her hostel room, was asleep. The accused reportedly entered the premises intending to commit theft. He first committed theft in nearby houses before targeting the hostel.

Inside the hostel, he allegedly gagged the woman, threatened her with death if she screamed, and sexually assaulted her before fleeing. Startled, the woman alerted others the next morning and lodged a complaint with the Kazhakkoottam police.

Initial investigation faced challenges as there were no CCTV cameras inside the hostel. Police relied on CCTV footage from nearby areas and tracked vehicle movement to trace the suspect.

According to the police, the man, after committing the crime, slept for a while in his lorry, and then, early morning, took his lorry for service. He got agitated when the service staff asked him to wait as there were other vehicles for servicing. After a heated argument, he drove away, and it was this CCTV footage that led to his arrest in Madurai.

The accused, who had gone into hiding in Madurai following the assault, resisted arrest but was eventually captured. Police confirmed that he had a history of theft during his trips to Kerala.

A special team, comprising officers from three police stations along with the City D-Squad, was formed to expedite the investigation. According to the local police, the complaint was received in the early hours of October 17.

Following the incident, the Police sent a notice to all the hostels in and around the Technopark to see that CCTVs are installed and appoint adequate security cover, especially in ladies’ hostels, as Kazhakootam is an area where a majority of the lady IT professionals reside.

–IANS

sg/skp