Thrissur (Keralam) | Police have arrested five persons who allegedly abducted a woman, who had checked into a lodge here with her male friend, and gang-raped her after posing as cops, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place on September 22, when the man from Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu and the woman from Nilambur in Keralam had checked into the lodge near the KSRTC bus stand.

A five-member gang allegedly assaulted the man, leaving him with broken arms and legs before abandoning him outside a hospital near Tiruppur, police said.

Police suspect that the attack was carried out on a "quotation" given by the man's wife, who allegedly tracked his mobile phone location and passed on the details to the gang.

The arrested persons are Devi, Thomas, Paulraj, Shankar and Raghupathi.

Police said that Devi is the wife of the man who was attacked by the gang.

The gang, posing as police officers, allegedly barged into their room, tied their hands and legs, stuffed cloth into their mouths and forcibly took them away in a car, police said.

The man was allegedly brutally assaulted during the journey to Tiruppur, leaving him with multiple fractures in his arms and legs, officials said.

After abandoning him outside a hospital near Tiruppur, Thomas and Raghupathi allegedly shifted the woman to another car and sexually assaulted her, police said.

Officials said that later the woman reached her native place, where she was under treatment and informed the police.

Based on the woman's statement, Nilambur police first initiated the investigation and subsequently handed it over to Thrissur City Police.

During the investigation led by the Thrissur Assistant Commissioner, Thomas was arrested near Nedumbassery airport.

Based on information obtained during his interrogation, three persons were apprehended from Tiruppur, Coimbatore and Palani, police said.

The arrested persons were remanded in judicial custody.

Police said one more person, suspected of being a minor, is yet to be arrested.