In a shocking disclosure, a woman hailing from Thrissur has accused four persons, including Vadakkanchery municipal councillor belonging to the CPI(M), of having gang-raped her two years ago and the local police with having harassed her into withdrawing her complaint.
The woman, mother of two narrated her harrowing experiences along with her husband at a news conference in the State capital. She said all the four who had gang-raped her were her husband's close friends. She identified them as Jayanthan, the CPI(M) councillor, Shibu, Jineesh and Bineesh. They had taken her with them when her husband was undergoing treatment for alocohlism and raped her in an empty house. She was under trauma for months.
She and her husband decided to approach the police when the foursome continued to harrass them and threatened to publicise images of the rape on the social media. However, when they approached the Peramangalam police in August, the Circle Inspector and other officers had subjected her to humiliating questions for four days and taken her for collecting evidence in front of the public. She finally gave in, and changed her statement before the Court. She said that since then, the accused have prevented her family from going back to their residence in Thrissur.
The shocking experiences of the woman came to light through a Facebook post by award-winning dubbing artiste, writer and activist Bhagyalakshmi on Wednesday. The woman and her husband met Bhagyalakshmi the other day after seeing her speak about gang rapes happening in Kerala and the incidents are not reported. “I was shocked when she narrated her experience and could not control crying,” Bhagyalakshmi, who was also present at the news conference, said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has agreed to meet the woman and her husband at 4 p.m. today, she added.
Charge rebutted
Meanwhile, speaking to TV channels from Thrissur, Mr. Jayanthan, the prime accused, said the charges were motivated. “Her claim that she was taken some 30 kilometres in his car, gang-raped and brought back to her home itself showed the allegations to be false. The woman and her husband owe us Rs. 3 lakh and there was a dispute over this. Later, the woman had begun demanding Rs. 15 lakh.” He had messages on his phone, sent by her seeking the money, he claimed, and said that he proposed to file a defamation case against the couple.
Speaking to reporters outside the police headquarters here, State Police Chief Loknath Behera said the police would conduct a diligent investigation into the woman's allegations.
