Police in Kerala have arrested a karate instructor for allegedly molesting one of his students, a minor girl, yesterday, February 21.

The arrest took place two days after the victim allegedly died by suicide.

According to a Vazhakkad police officer, the 17-year-old girl informed her parents about what the karate instructor had done before her death, but no complaint was filed in accordance with her wishes, a report by PTI states.

The girl went missing on February 19 in the evening, and her body was discovered in a local river that night. Investigation revealed that she did not attend school for two weeks prior to her death.

According to the police, the parents then expressed their suspicion about the karate instructor and said that their daughter would not take her own life. 

Before the police took over the case, the incident of molestation by the karate instructor came to light in a school counselling session. Following this, the school authorities informed the Kozhikode Child Welfare Board, who then submitted the complaint to the Vazhakkad police station. 

The accused, who was arrested on February 21, now faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the girl's death.

The karate instructor had previously been accused in a POCSO case but was acquitted, according to the report.