A madrasa teacher was arrested for “sexually assaulting” a nine-year-old girl while travelling by ship from Lakshadweep to Kochi, police said on Monday (October 12, 2026).
The accused was identified as Sayid Mohammed Naufal, a resident of Lakshadweep.
Police said a case was registered on Saturday in connection with the alleged incident, which occurred during the voyage to Kochi. The girl was travelling with her mother.
While the mother was resting due to illness, the accused allegedly lured the girl by offering to show her the scenic views from the ship, police said.
He later took her to an isolated part of the vessel and allegedly sexually assaulted her, they said.
After the girl informed her mother about the incident, they alerted the ship’s security personnel, who detained the accused.
When the vessel arrived in Kochi, Naufal was handed over to the Fort Kochi Coastal Police, which registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, officials said.
He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody, police added.
