A group of people who left the Emperor Emmanuel Church based at Muryad in the district have alleged that the sexual harassment allegation raised by Olympian Mayookha Johny against a resident of Muringoor is fake.
Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, the group, including the former chairman and trustees of the church, alleged that the complaint was part of a fake campaign done by the current leadership of the Emperor Emmanuel Church against those who had left it. The church leadership was using the Olympian as a tool against us, they alleged.
Olympian Mayookha Johny on Monday told media persons that one of her friends was raped by a resident of Muringoor. She also alleged that the police and the women’s commission were trying to protect the rapist.
Ms. Johny and family have been active members of the Emperor Emmanuel Church since 2010. The founder of the church Joseph Ponnara died in 2017. Later, a woman took charge of the Church.
“We left the Church as we could not adjust with the new leadership’s methods and beliefs. Since then the new leadership has been lodging fake complaints against the people who left the church, including the one who is facing the sexual harassment charge now. Almost 50 cases have been lodged against us.”
“We have handed over evidence to prove that the complaints were fake,” said former chairman of the church Biju Philip and Cyriac Varghese, Shajan Payyappilly, M.G. Antony and Sabu Sebastian who attended the press conference.
Complaint genuine
However, Ms. Johny insisted that the complaint was genuine. “No woman will raise a fake sexual harassment complaint. The media conference itself shows that the accused is politically and financially influential.”
She also reiterated the charge that former chairperson of the women’s commission M.C. Josephine intervened on the issue.
