90-yr-old woman attacked, harassed in Kerala

Kollam (Ker), Sep 21 (PTI) A 90-year-old woman livingalone was allegedly assaulted and harassed by her neighbourafter he trespassed into her house at Kadakkal in Kollamdistrict. Police said the nonagenarian woman, a widow and a cancersurvivor, was attacked by the 63-year-old man last week. "The man intruded into her house and attacked and behavedin a manner which amounted to outraging her modesty," Districtpolice chief Ajeetha Begum said. He was arrested today and charged under IPC Sections 354(assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage hermodesty) and 377 (unnatural offences). "We have registered the case based on the statement givenby the woman. She was sent to the hospital for detailedmedical examination. The accused was arrested and IPC 354 and377 were charged against him according to her statement,"Ajeetha Begum told PTI. However, police dismissed reports aired by some televisionchannels that the old woman was brutally raped. Meanwhile, the state Human Rights Commission initiated suomoto into the incident based on media reports. A few months back, a Dalit law student was brutally rapedand killed by a migrant labour in Perumbavur in Ernakulamdistrict, triggering heated debates on the safety of women inthe state. PTI LGK JRK APRRCB