400 CCTV cameras help Kerala Police catch schoolgirl stalker

Dubai: Kerala Police arrested a 33-year-old man accused of stalking and assaulting schoolgirls in Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts, after a weeks-long investigation involving hundreds of CCTV recordings and a distinctive clue provided by a survivor.

According to a report by Malayala Manorama, Lijo Joseph, who runs a poultry shop in Neduvathoor, was arrested by the Kollam Rural police's District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) team in Puthoor. Police said multiple cases had been registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police said Joseph allegedly targeted girls, including school students, who were walking or cycling alone through relatively isolated roads. Investigators linked him to around 12 incidents reported over several months in different parts of the two districts.

According to the report, Joseph allegedly used a blue scooter and tried to conceal its registration number by covering it with mud or bending the plate. Police said he also wore a helmet and face mask and used women's footwear, apparently making identification more difficult.

After the alleged incidents, he reportedly used interior roads in the Kunnathur, Adoor and Kottarakkara areas to leave the locations.

Police examined footage from about 400 CCTV cameras, but the investigation initially struggled because the scooter's registration number and the rider's face were not clearly visible.

A key breakthrough came after a girl resisted an alleged assault near the Kollam-Theni National Highway, according to police cited by the reports.

The suspect was reportedly not wearing his mask during that incident. The girl observed his physical appearance and noticed he was chewing betel leaves — a detail that investigators later used alongside other descriptions to narrow their search.

The DANSAF team subsequently compared descriptions with CCTV footage and checked information on similar scooters registered across different districts. After continued surveillance and field investigations, police traced Joseph to Puthoor and arrested him.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against Joseph have yet to be tested in court.