Police on Monday arrested another accused in connection with the gangrape of an employee at an Ayurvedic spa in Thiruvalla.
The arrested person has been identified as Varun Kumar (36), a native of Niranam. He was taken into custody by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Aluva in the early hours of Monday following a probe based on analysis of the tower’s location, police said.
The latest arrest brings the number of accused in the case to three. Police said a search is on for the remaining three members of the six-member gang.
The police are also probing the bid-rigging angle behind the gang-rape episode. The authorities are also checking whether the spa operated in accordance with the relevant laws.
The ministry also denied allegations that law enforcement officials were involved in racketeering activities associated with spas in the area.
According to the case, the accused barged into the spa on February 1 for refusing to pay extortion money, threatened staff and sexually assaulted a female employee at knifepoint. The defendant also intimidated another customer who was present in the spa and was said to be filming videos during the incident.
Published – 09 Feb 2026 20:11 IST
