T’puram: Varkala Police have launched a search in Tamil Nadu for a Nagercoil native accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl from Thiruvananthapuram after allegedly giving her liquor at an apartment near Papanasam beach in Varkala. The police have registered a case under the Pocso Act against Rizwan, a native of Parvathipuram, Nagercoil.The survivor, a Class XII student, told the police that she became acquainted with Rizwan through Instagram. According to her complaint, Rizwan, along with his friends Remington, Safia, Tony and Sreekha, all natives of Nagercoil, picked her up from near a mall in Thiruvananthapuram on Sept 26, 2026, in a Swift car and took her to an apartment in Varkala.The girl alleged that she was given liquor at the apartment before Rizwan sexually assaulted her. The police suspect that the accused had travelled from Tamil Nadu to Thiruvananthapuram to pick up the girl before taking her to Varkala. The role of the others who accompanied him is also being examined.Identifying the apartment where the alleged assault took place has emerged as a major challenge for the probe team. The girl has been unable to recall its exact location, reportedly because she was under the influence of alcohol when she was taken there. She has also not been able to provide details that could help the police pinpoint the building.However, the survivor has provided the police with photographs of the accused that she received through Instagram. The police are using these details to trace Rizwan and his associates.Rizwan is currently absconding. The police have declined to release his photograph, stating that doing so could affect the ongoing investigation.Varkala Police said further investigation was under way.