A 43-year-old man Satheesh in Kerala’s Thripunithura was caught on camera assaulting his wife’s co-worker with a helmet in the middle of a supermarket. The assault was caught on the CCTV installed at the supermarket, and visuals show the man entering the supermarket, walking towards the woman and then suddenly attacking her. The video shows that he then removes his helmet and starts hitting her with it, even as other people at the supermarket try to stop him. The attack took place on Tuesday, February 15, and while the man is absconding after the attack, the woman has suffered injuries, including a fractured hand.
According to reports, Satheesh (43) had made a phone call to the supermarket to speak to his wife, and the call was picked up by his wife's co-worker, Shiji Rahul (35), who was present in the delivery section. Satheesh wanted to talk to his wife, Sujitha, who was in the packing section, to inform her about the death of a relative. Shiji said she would pass on the information to Satheesh’s wife, but he insisted on talking to her, and then allegedly began abusing Shiji. Hearing him abuse, Shiji disconnected the phone. Enraged by this, Satheesh landed up at the supermarket.
“A little while later, he came to the supermarket and started beating my mother with a helmet,” said Sudhilal, Shiji’s son. “She said that the man smelled of liquor. We alerted the police and they turned up around 45 minutes later, and asked my mother to visit the police station to lodge a complaint. As she went with the owner and filed a complaint, she was even asked if it was necessary to do so. When we went to ask for an update in the evening, they could not give one. A case was registered only after local politicians threatened to stage a protest.”
Shiji’s right hand has been fractured in the attack and she has suffered bruises on her head and shoulders. The owner of the supermarket, Joy Thomas, said she would have lost her life had other people in the supermarket not intervened.
“I have never seen anyone beating another person in such a brutal manner. He hit Shiji with the helmet and she was hit on the head and shoulder four to five times. After we pulled Satheesh back, he tried to flee by starting his motorbike parked outside, but we removed the key to block him till the police arrived. However, he managed to slip away with his wife Sujitha while we were attending to Shiji,” he said.
The Hill Palace police have registered a First Information Report against Satheesh under Sections 452 (House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), and 294(b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place) of IPC.
“We have intensified the hunt for the accused and we are confident of nabbing him very soon,” said Anila K, Sub Inspector, Hill Palace police. Shiji Sivaji, member of the State Women’s Commission, has called for strict action against the accused. She also spoke to the victim over phone.