The prosecution counsel representing the Kerala government informed the Additional Sessions Court in Thiruvananthapuram that Bhagyalakshmi, Diya Sana and Sreelakshmi Arackal, who have been booked for attacking a YouTuber for posting an abusive video, are absconding. The prosecution made the statement in a declaration after being asked about the progress of the case by the court, reports the Times of India.
Dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi and activists Diya and Sreelakshmi were booked after the women threw oil on Thiruvananthapuram resident Vijay P Nair and were seen slapping him over an abusive video that he had posted on YouTube. The man had even personally targeted one of the women and the women had stated that they had to confront him as no action was taken by the police despite multiple complaints from different people against this. Following the incident, the women, as well as Vijay Nair, were booked and he was arrested.
Reportedly, the court asked for progress in the case as it was considering an anticipatory bail plea filed by Vijay Nair in one of the cases registered against him. The statements of Bhagyalakshmi and two other activists in the case have not been recorded by the police as they are ‘untraceable,’ the prosecution told the court. According to reports, the police have not yet made a decision on whether to arrest the women or not.
The court had on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by the women by stating that it will set a bad example and that no one should take law in their hands. The state government had also argued in court that anticipatory bail should not be granted to the women.
Meanwhile, recently, the man who posted the abusive video, Vijay Nair, got bail in one of the cases. But he is still in prison as he did not secure bail in another case.
Following the incident, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that new laws would be framed for strong action against those who abuse women on social media.