A 38-year-old truck driver from Tamil Nadu has been arrested for the alleged rape of a 25-year-old woman IT employee at a hostel in Kazhakkoottam last Friday. City Police Commissioner Thomson Jose stated on Monday (21 October 2025) that the crime was committed during an attempted theft.
The accused, identified as Benjamin, a native of Madurai, was apprehended by a special probe team after a dramatic chase and has been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by an Attingal court.
According to the police investigation, Benjamin, who owns and drives the truck, was in Kazhakkoottam on a cargo delivery trip. The probe revealed he is a habitual offender who frequently committed thefts during his visits to the state capital.
On the night of the crime, he first stole an iPod and ₹500 from a nearby hostel. He then entered the victim’s hostel, finding its front door open. Police said Benjamin attempted to open several rooms, but only the door to the 25-year-old survivor’s room was unlocked.
Upon entering, Benjamin allegedly abandoned his initial plan to steal and instead sexually assaulted the woman. Officials stated that he used force and covered her mouth to prevent her from raising an alarm. After the crime, he fled the scene and drove his truck to a service centre in Attingal, where he got into a quarrel with the staff over his urgency to service the vehicle.
The probe team sifted through hundreds of CCTV footage to track the suspect. Visuals from the Attingal service centre were crucial, leading to the identification of his truck’s registration number. After coordinating with Madurai police, the Kerala probe team located the truck parked on a roadside in Madurai.
When officers approached Benjamin and asked him to move the vehicle, he attempted to flee. Police officials reported that they had to chase him for over a kilometre before finally capturing him.
Police officials confirmed that forensic evidence, including fingerprints, DNA from semen samples, and mobile tower location data, will be pivotal in building the case against the accused. Authorities are also collecting details of other cases registered against Benjamin in various police stations across Tamil Nadu and Kerala and are examining his potential involvement in unresolved theft cases in the region.
(Source: Times of India)
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