After a 32-year-old woman from Kerala’s Thrissur district came out in the open about an alleged gang rape that happened two years ago, a police officer on Monday was suspended in connection with the case.
Thrissur-range Inspector General suspended Peramangalam Circle Inspector (CI) Manikandan based on the survivor's complaint that the police officer had harassed her. After the woman's revelation, the Kerala police had constituted a new team to investigate the case, admitting that there was laxity in an earlier probe.
In a press meet held in Thiruvananthapuram last week and subsequently while filing a complaint, the woman had alleged that she had to withdraw the case filed two months ago, following harassment at the hands of the police, especially the Circle Inspector at Peramangalam police station in the district.
The survivor alleged that in the case in which CPI (M) leader PN Jayanthan was an accused, CI Manikandan had asked her inappropriate and insulting questions, thereby subjecting her to “emotional rape”.
In her complaint, the woman alleged that she and her husband were made to come to the station daily for four days together, in the name of questioning. She alleged that not only did the CI ask her to work out a compromise with the accused, but also asked her which one of the four alleged rapists had given her maximum pleasure.
“The CI asked me to show him where all the four men touched me…and that whether I allowed them to rape me and that which one of them had pleasured me the most. In front of many people, he asked me to identify the spot of the crime, but I couldn’t articulate and then he shouted at me,” the survivor had revealed in the press meet.
Malayalam dubbing artist Bhagya Lakshmi had first revealed the story of the alleged gang rape on Facebook, following which, the press meet was held. Actor, theatre artist and social activist Parvathi had also accompanied them during the press meet.
Parvathi on Sunday spearheaded an online campaign asking the public to share bad experiences at the hands of CI Manikandan, in a way to express solidarity, so that he could be removed from his post.
In her Facebook post, she wrote that many people had reached out to her to complain about the said police officer.