Kerala: Woman abducted, assaulted over spa centre financial dispute in Thrissur; 5 arrested

A shocking case of abduction and assault in Thrissur's Manakkody was uncovered during a police investigation into another crime. Five individuals were arrested for kidnapping and brutally assaulting a woman over a financial dispute related to a spa center.

Thrissur: In a shocking incident, a young woman from Thrissur’s Manakkody was abducted and held captive for three days by a five-member gang. The case came to light when police, investigating another matter, arrived at the accused's residence. According to officials, the woman was kidnapped due to a dispute over financial dealings related to a spa center she managed with a male friend. The accused allegedly took revenge for not being given access to the accounts.

During her captivity, the victim was brutally assaulted, and the gang also stole her gold ornaments, including a 2.5-sovereign necklace and a 1.5-sovereign bangle.

The police arrested five individuals in connection with the case:

1. Gopakumar (alias Gopu) from Nayarangadi, Thrissur
2. Abhinash P. Shankar from Melur, Kozhikode
3. Jithin Joshi from Amballoor
4. Aathira from Melur, Kozhikode
5. Anju from Vellarada, Thiruvananthapuram

The case of abduction and assault was uncovered during a police investigation into another crime. The accused, who were involved in assaulting an employee at a coffee shop in Paliyekkara, were under police scrutiny when the abduction case came to light.

Video evidence has surfaced showing the woman being attacked, as well as footage of one of the accused assaulting the coffee shop employee. This led the police to the accused’s residence, where they discovered the abduction.