A woman dressed in a black kurta can be seen tackling a man dressed in a white shirt and saffron veshti. She tries to dodge him. The man begins attacking the woman, Bindu Ammini, with a pepper spray. Even as she moves his hand away, he continues to aggressively spray the mixture on her face. She then quickly rushes away from the attack. However, the man persists, follows her and continues to spray, even as she struggles to protect herself.
These shocking visuals took place in front of the Police Commissioner’s office in Kochi. The woman who was attacked with pepper spray, Bindu, was one of the two women who entered and prayed at Sabarimala on January 2 this year.
On Tuesday, Bindu was among the six women who accompanied Maharashtra-based 'Right to Pray' activist Trupti Desai to the Commissioner’s officer in Kochi, seeking police protection to visit Sabarimala temple.
The attack took place around 7:15 am as Bindu stepped out the Commissioner’s office to collect some files from her car. A group of protestors had also assembled outside the office on learning that Trupti and others had arrived in Kochi. On seeing Bindu, her attacker, who was seen hiding the spray behind his back, accosted her and began spraying the pepper solution. An altercation between Bindu and the protesting group broke out after the attack.
Shocking visuals of pepper/ chilli spray being sprayed at Bindu Ammini outisde the commissioner office by one of the protesters . She has been moved to the hospital. Six other women including Trupti Desai inside the police commissioner's office. #Sabarimala #Kerala @ndtv pic.twitter.com/d24chgs8b3
— Sneha Koshy (@SnehaMKoshy) November 26, 2019
One of the protesting men from the crowd told Bindu that she “will not go to Sabarimala from here”. He also accused her of being a naxal. Responding to him, Bindu can be heard asking the man why he assumed she was going to Sabarimala.
While a few police officers stationed outside the Commissioner’s office attempted to intervene and diffuse tensions, the altercation continued. Following this, Bindu collected her files from the car and submitted it at the Commissioner’s officer. She was later admitted to the General Hospital, Ernakulam, for treatment following the attack.
The man who attacked Bindu with the pepper spray has been identified as Sreenath, a 28-year-old from Thaliparamba in Kannur District. Police have confirmed that Sreenath worked as the State Coordinator of Hindu Helpline, a service started by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal for Hindus.