Accused threatened to release video, says gang-rape victim

The victim and her husband, who addressed the media here with their faces covered, said the accused continued to ‘taunt’ the woman about the horrifying incident, threatening that the video footage of the ghastly act would be made public. “The harassment has increased now,” the victim said. The woman, a mother of two, also complained about the ‘insensitive and indecent’ manner in which the police questioned her about the incident.

When  contacted, Peramangalam police said the woman had filed a complaint in August this year in which, she named the four accused, including CPI(M) Wadakancherry Municipal Council member Jayanthan, adding that the probe in the case was on. The woman said her family members were living in fear since the incident which occurred in 2014. “I have not done anything wrong. The accused are walking free and I am the one who is being made to feel ashamed,” she said. The woman said two years ago, when her husband was away, the four accused, including Jayanthan who was his friend, came to her house in Thrissur district claiming that her husband was taken to a hospital as he had met with an accident. 

She went with them thinking that she was being taken to the hospital, but instead, they allegedly took her to a secluded place and took turns to rape her. She also alleged that the police as well as politicians had tried to force her to withdraw her original complaint and change her statement. Besides Jayanthan, she alleged that his brother and two others had gang raped her, recorded the act and were still threatening her saying the footage would be made public. The woman said though she had earlier filed a complaint in 2015, she was ‘forced’ to withdraw it later after the accused threatened to kill her children. “They held my husband in a car as I went to file a fresh statement before the magistrate,” she said. 

The incident came to light after the couple approached actor and activist Bhagyalakshmi, who narrated the incident in one of her Facebook posts which became viral. Bhagyalakshmi said when she met the couple two weeks ago, they were in a state of shock and on the verge of committing suicide. But, continued counselling helped them overcome their fear to a  certain extent. According to reports, Jayanthan called the allegations ‘fabricated’ and full of lies. He said there were pending disputes with the woman’s husband over a financial deal. The ruling CPM, on its part, has promised to look into the matter and take necessary action.