20-yr-old man held days after girl found dead in Kerala Madrassa

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 31 : Police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with a murder of a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly found hanging inside a Madrassa library in Kerala's Balarampuram city earlier this month.

According to the police, the victim, Asmiya Mole, was in an "intimate relationship" with the accused.

"The accused has been arrested under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)," police said.

Police had filed a case on a complaint of the victim's mother alleging mental harassment by a teacher at the institution

The deceased, was a student at a religious study centre near Balarampuram, and was staying in the hostel.

According to Balarampuram police, Asmiya Mole had called her mother earlier in the month and asked to take her back home.

"Her mother reached the Madrassa around 4.30 pm. She was asked to get permission. Around 6.30 pm she was informed that the girl was found hanging inside the library. Her mother took her to a private hospital in Neyyattinkara. She was declared brought dead on arrival at 7 pm," police said earlier in the month.

The girl's uncle Tajudeen earlier toldthat she came home during Ramzan and told her mother that a new teacher in the Madrassa was harassing her mentally.

"She returned to Madrassa on May 2 and complained to her mother again about the teacher. After reporting the matter to the Madrassa administration, the Ustad (teacher) asked her mother why Asmiya did not complain to him instead," he said earlier in the month.