Absconding Pocso accused held at Chennai airport while attempting to flee abroad

T’puram: A 28-year-old man accused in a Pocso case, who allegedly absconded after the completion of the trial and before the court could pronounce its verdict, was arrested at Chennai airport while attempting to leave the country.The accused, Jain, a native of Kallambalam, was taken into custody on Thursday. He had been absconding after the trial in the case registered by Kallambalam Police in 2019 was completed before the Varkala Pocso court.According to the police, the case pertains to the alleged repeated sexual abuse of a nine-year-old boy between 2017 and 2019. The accused allegedly entered the child’s house on several occasions and subjected him to sexual abuse.The police said the accused disappeared after the completion of the court proceedings, at a stage when the verdict was yet to be pronounced. Following his failure to appear before the court, an arrest warrant was issued against him on Aug 29, 2026.The police subsequently intensified efforts to trace him and issued a lookout notice, alerting immigration and other authorities to prevent him from leaving the country.As the accused continued to remain absent, the court also issued notices to his sureties on Sept 14.The lookout alert eventually led to his detention at Chennai airport.The police said further legal procedures would be completed, and the accused would be produced before the court. The arrest comes after months of efforts to trace him following his disappearance before the pronouncement of the verdict in the case.Stay updated with the latest Thiruvananthapuram news. Download the TOI App.