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The Kerala Police have registered a case against Martin Antony, the second accused in the 2017 Kerala actor assault case, for revealing the survivor’s identity and defaming her through a video circulated on social media. The case has been registered by the Thrissur City Police on December 18, Thursday.
A video is being widely shared on social media by many people in which Martin Antony disclosed the survivor’s name and made derogatory remarks about her. The police have also said that legal action will be initiated against those who shared or circulated the video.
The police action follows a complaint filed by the survivor, a week after the verdict in the case.
The video in question was allegedly recorded earlier, when Martin Antony was out on bail, and resurfaced after the verdict. Following its circulation, the survivor was subjected to coordinated online abuse, the complaint said.
On December 8, the District and Principal Sessions Court in Kochi convicted six accused, Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, B Manikandan, Vijeesh VP, Salim H alias Vadival Salim, and Pradeep, for abducting and sexually assaulting the actor in February 2017. The court sentenced all six to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, the minimum punishment prescribed for gang rape.
The court, however, acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep, the eighth accused, citing lack of evidence, a verdict that triggered widespread debate and protests across Kerala.