The special investigation team probing the alleged sexual exploitation of a teenage girl from Andhra Pradesh at spas in Kovalam is forming a multidisciplinary medical panel to record her detailed statement, while the investigation has expanded to a resort in Wayanad, police said.
The proposed panel will include a clinical psychologist, forensic surgeon, woman gynaecologist and paediatric specialist. The SIT has written to the superintendent of the government medical college hospital seeking the formation of the panel, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
The move follows concerns about the psychological trauma suffered by the girl and the need to record her account without causing further distress. Police said the medical experts would help investigators assess her physical and psychological condition and ensure that the statement is recorded in a child-sensitive and scientifically appropriate manner.
“The girl is traumatised due to the incidents she allegedly went through. Since her detailed statement is crucial to the investigation, we want to ensure that it is recorded with the assistance of experts who can assess her physical and psychological condition and help conduct it in a child-sensitive manner,” an SIT officer said, according to the report.
The girl was brought back to Sakhi, a government-supported centre for women, after Tamil Nadu Police took her to record her statement as part of a parallel investigation. The SIT’s proposed intervention is intended to help obtain a comprehensive account of the circumstances in which she was allegedly brought to Kerala and exploited at different locations.
Police said a scientific age assessment had been completed and indicated that the girl is below 17 years of age. The finding is significant to the investigation because it establishes that the survivor was a minor at the time of the alleged offences, although the legal determination and charges will remain matters for the investigating and judicial authorities.
The SIT is also questioning two spa owners arrested as the third and fourth accused in the case. Sajith Kumar, 47, was granted seven days in police custody, while Nishanth, 46, was handed over for four days. Police said the two men would be taken to Kovalam for evidence collection.
The investigation has also moved beyond Thiruvananthapuram district. According to the SIT, Kumar allegedly took the girl to a resort in Vythiri, Wayanad, where she stayed for four days. Police are investigating allegations that she was sexually abused during that stay.
Police said Kumar paid nearly Rs 5 lakh to rent three rooms at Misty Gate resort in Vythiri and operated a spa there while claiming to have the required licence. The SIT said he was unable to produce the necessary documents. The spa operation was reportedly discontinued after a dispute with the resort management over the lack of proper documentation.
Investigators are examining whether other people were involved in the alleged exploitation. The next steps include recording the survivor’s detailed statement with medical assistance, collecting evidence at the Kovalam locations and questioning the arrested accused about the Wayanad stay and the operation of the spa.
