Police arrested a 27-year-old man within hours of an attempted assault on a woman after he trespassed into a nurses hostel attached to a private hospital in the city on Sunday afternoon.
The accused has been identified as Muhammad Ajmal (27) of Puthoor near the Parath Club at Panoor. The incident occurred at around 1.30 p.m. on December 14, when he allegedly entered the hostel unlawfully and attempted to sexually assault a young woman staying there.
According to the police, the accused caught hold of the woman and tried to molest her before she managed to raise an alarm. Acting on the complaint, Sub Inspector K. Ashwathy of the Thalassery police station rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.
Police collected CCTV footage from the area and circulated the suspect’s images through WhatsApp groups to trace his movements. During the probe, officers received information that the accused had also trespassed into another house at Narangapuram in Thalassery.
A police team led by SHO Biju Prakash and SI Ashwathy conducted extensive searches across the town and nearby areas. The accused was finally apprehended at 6.10 p.m. and Sadanandapai petrol pump in Thalassery. The arrest was made following a brief chase. The complainant later identified the accused at the police station.
Police said the accused is a habitual offender with four criminal cases including rape and robbery, registered against him at various police stations.
Published – December 15, 2025 04:18 pm IST
