Woman tracks husband and companion through hotel QR payment, leading to alleged assault case in Kerala

A hotel payment made through a merchant QR code allegedly helped a woman locate her taxi-driver husband and his female companion in Thrissur, Kerala, leading to an alleged abduction and sexual assault case. Police have arrested six people in connection with the incident and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack.

According to Assistant Police Commissioner T R Rajesh, the woman, who has been identified by police as the chief suspect, had allegedly known about her husband’s relationship with the other woman for around eight years. Police said she had been keeping track of her husband and allegedly acted after learning about his location.

The incident reportedly took place after the taxi driver and the woman from Malappuram checked into a hotel in Thrissur on September 22. The two were said to be returning from a trip to Wayanad when they stopped at the hotel.

Police said the man needed money and contacted his wife. He shared the hotel’s merchant payment QR code with her so that she could make a payment. The woman allegedly used her UPI application to transfer money directly to the hotel account. According to investigators, this payment enabled her to identify the hotel where her husband was staying.

Police allege that she subsequently informed one of the members of a group of taxi drivers. Four others allegedly joined the group and travelled around 170 km to Thrissur.

The group allegedly entered the hotel by claiming that they were police officers searching for a man from Tamil Nadu. They reportedly told hotel staff that the man was wanted in connection with the alleged theft of 65 sovereigns of gold.

According to the police, after gaining access to the hotel room, the group allegedly abducted both individuals and took them to Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu.

Police further alleged that the woman was sexually assaulted after being taken to Tiruppur. The investigation is examining the exact sequence of events and the role of each of the accused.

The woman reportedly managed to escape the following day while the group was moving her from one location to another. Police said that when the vehicle stopped at one point, two passersby became suspicious after noticing the woman, who was reportedly wearing torn clothes.

The suspects allegedly fled from the location. The two local residents then helped the woman reach the nearest railway station, from where she returned to Kerala.

After returning to Kerala, the woman approached the police in her home district of Malappuram and filed a complaint. The case was subsequently transferred to Thrissur Police for investigation.

The police have arrested six people in connection with the case. Those arrested include the taxi driver's wife, Thomas Priyadarsan Dev, 27, from Nilgiris; Regupathi Raja, 20, from Dindigul; Sankar, 20, from Karur; and Balraj, 31, from Kadavur. A sixth accused has also been arrested, while the investigation into the roles of others is continuing.

A magistrate court in Thrissur has remanded the arrested accused to judicial custody for two weeks.

Assistant Police Commissioner T R Rajesh said investigators were also checking whether the arrested members of the group had any previous criminal records.

Police said the two victims had met in Ernakulam during the taxi driver's trip to Kerala. Investigators are examining the circumstances of their relationship as well as the allegations made in the complaint.

The case has drawn attention to how a routine digital payment can reveal a person's location when a merchant QR code is shared for payment. In this case, police allege that the payment helped the suspect identify the hotel where her husband and his companion were staying.

However, the exact sequence of events and the allegations against each accused will be established through the ongoing investigation and legal proceedings.