Coastal police have arrested Sameer Khan, a 20-year-old resident of Kadamath island in Lakshadweep, for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor boy on a ship traveling from Kavaratti to Kochi.
The victim, a four-and-a-half-year-old boy, was onboard the ship with his mother. According to police, the accused lured the child to the ship’s washroom by promising to show him fishes. The incident occurred while the boy’s mother was asleep.
The ship departed from Kavaratti on Wednesday and reached Kochi on Thursday, where the accused was detained. Authorities are investigating Sameer Khan’s background and other possible links.
Sameer Khan has been charged under sections 7, 8, and 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, including punishment for aggravated sexual assault on a child under twelve years (Section 9(m)). The Fort Kochi coastal police registered the case and presented the accused in court, where he was remanded to judicial custody.
