A molestation case that dragged on for five years took a toll on Percy Joseph’s life, and the lives of his family members. On Friday, finally, it turned out that the case was a false one.
The Thodupuzha First Class Magistrate Court in Idukki district acquitted Percy, Chief Manager of Union Bank’s Hyderabad branch, of all charges filed against him in a case that dated back to 2011. A woman named Prameela Biju had accused him of molesting her when he was a manager with Union Bank.
In the order, judge Jomon John said: “The accused was taken into custody by the police even before an FIR was registered against him. Later, police fabricated a story against him and subsequently registered the arrest. The prosecution’s case appears to be false and fabricated. The evidence of the victim is highly unreliable and unbelievable.”
Prameela Biju, who was a “woman civil police officer, according to court documents, visited Percy to talk about a loan for a two-wheeler.
That evening, Percy was summoned to the then Assistant Commissioner of Police R Nishanthini’s office. He learned that Prameela had lodged a complaint that he had misbehaved with her in the bank.
“When I reached the station ACP Nishanthini slapped me twice and other police officers physically assaulted me very badly. They were not ready to listen. I got bail that night and was admitted in a hospital for three days,” Percy told The News Minute.
Percy says that the complaint was fake. The bank manager’s cabin then had glass walls, he said. “Everyone outside can clearly see what happens. Moreover, there is CCTV and I had produced the footage before the court to prove my innocence,” he added.
Percy says that he was targeted for a reason. A former chairperson of the Thodupuzha Municipality was unhappy with Percy as he had seized the equipment of a cooperative unit under the municipality following failure to repay the amount.
Apart from this, Percy says the chairperson’s husband who had already obtained a loan from the bank approached him for another loan. “I offered to sanction Rs 50,000, but he wanted double the amount. I refused because he was not liable for it. He threatened me and said he will show what power he has,” Percy recalls. Two days after this incident Prameela met Percy at the bank.
“The pain I went through cannot be described. Though my family and colleagues supported me, I was defamed. It was a nightmare,” he said.
Although Percy has been acquitted, the legal battles to obtain justice for the torture and false implication by the police are pending with the Kerala High Court. The local court observed in its order that Percy was subjected to police brutality and violation of human rights.