Kozhikode , Residents of Maniyoor took out a jubilant march following the arrest of an expatriate businessman in a controversial POCSO case after the Kerala High Court upheld the cancellation of his bail, police said on Thursday.
Police arrested and remanded the mother following public protests. The case was registered by the Payyoli police under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in January 2026 following a complaint from Childline.
Soon after the arrest, locals took out a march in Maniyoor to express support for the police action and demand a detailed probe, officials said. Rafeeq was a close friend of the victim’s mother, and the minor was allegedly sexually assaulted for over two years, police said. Subsequently, the police approached the Koyilandy Fast Track Court, which cancelled Rafeeq’s bail, officials said. Police said Rafeeq would be produced before the court as part of the remand procedure.
Officials at Payyoli police station said Abdul Rafeeq was detained by the Kozhikode Rural Crime Branch at Chengottukavu near Koyilandy on Wednesday, minutes after the High Court vacated an interim stay on the lower court’s order cancelling his bail.
