Wayanad, January 30: A Kerala Congress leader has been charged of raping a tribal teenager several times over the past year. The accused, identified as OM George, has gone missing after the allegations were levelled against him. The police, which has registered a case under the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, has launched a search operation to nab him.

George, who earlier served as the general secretary of the district Congress unit in Wayanad, has been suspended from the party. Kerala Congress unit chief Mullappally Ramachandran said they have adopted a zero-tolerance policy, and has asked the police to take stringent action in the horrific rape case. Odisha: Court Sentences Two Men to 20 Years in Jail for Raping Minor Girl.

The police case was registered earlier in the week after the girl's parents called a distress helpline number and narrated the ordeal suffered by their child. Based on their account, George was booked under the relevant provisions of the POCSO Act. 

The victim, 17, worked as a maid at the accused's house in Wayanad. She told her parents last month that George had been sexually assaulting her several times over the past year, and threatened her with dire consequences if she reveals it to anyone.

The minor, however, broke down last month and disclosed the trauma she suffered before her mother.

George, after learning that the victim's kin may be considering to take legal action against him, called them up and abused the girl. The parents claim that one of the Congress leaders offered them a lucrative amount to retract their police complaint. The victim's father, however, refused the offer and decided to pursue penal action against the accused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2019 03:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).