Complaint lodged against Kerala CPI(M) leader for naming gangrape survivor

The alleged gangrape of a 32-year old woman in Thrissur by four persons including Vadakkanchery Municipal Councillor PN Jayanthan has now begun to haunt the Left party in more ways than one. 

Even as the Congress has called for a hartal at Vadakkanchery in Thrissur on Saturday, demanding that Jayanthan be removed from the Councillor post, controversy erupted over CPI(M) Thrissur district secretary Radhakrishnan publicly naming the woman, thereby compromising her identity. 

Bharatiya Janatha Party state president Kummanam Rajasekharan filed a complaint with the state DGP Loknath Behera against Radhakrishnan in this regard.

Speaking to the media on Friday after the party’s decision to suspend the accused Jayanthan and Bineesh, Radhakrishnan had reiterated that vested interests were behind the allegations. 

He went on to urge journalists to “consider the statement of the victim’s husband’s parents, that was a pointer to the couple’s true character.” 

When cautioned by the media against revealing the victim’s name, Radhakrishnan retorted: “If the accused Jayanthan’s name can be revealed, there is nothing wrong with revealing the complainant’s name.” 

In his complaint to the DGP, Kummanam asked for the inclusion of the said television visuals as evidence, and that Radhakrishnan be booked for the offence.

Section 228 (a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) makes divulging the identify of a rape victim as a punishable non-bailable offence that can attract a jail term of upto three years, along with a fine. 

The woman had recently revealed that she was allegedly gang-raped by four of her husband’s friends -Jayanthan, Shibu, Bineesh and Jineesh- in 2014. Jayanthan and Bineesh -who is also a party member- were suspended from the party on Friday. 

The National Women’s Commission too registered a suo motu case, based on the woman’s complaint.