Following the sexual assault of a popular south Indian actress by her former driver and his accomplices yesterday, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran condemned the attack in a Facebook post, questioning the security of women in the “matriarchal/matrilineal” society that is Kerala.
Prithviraj, who was supposed to work with her in a film next week, lauded the actress’s bravery, and appealed for further investigation in the case.
The actress was attacked by her former driver ‘Pulsar’ Soni, and another driver – Martin – who is currently in her employ. The alleged motive for the crime was the actress’s decision to fire Soni as he is accused in a murder case.
According to the police, the actresses’s vehicle was attacked by masked men near Angamaly enroute to Kochi. Martin, who was in league with the assailants, made no move to help her. Following this, the actress was forcibly taken to a moving van, and sexually assaulted. The attackers also took photographs of the actress, and later left her in a secluded spot near Nedumbassery, Kochi. The actress subsequently filed a complaint at the Nedumbassery police station, following which Martin was arrested.
Several celebrities have since reacted to the incident, with posts in support of the actress on their social media pages. Playback singer Sayanora Phillip commented on how Prithviraj’s open letter was necessary. “As long as i know her, she is one of the boldest and bravest souls of all the women iv [I have] ever known in this industry. She will b bak [be back], and she will make sure that each one of the cuplrit [culprit] gets their deserved share of punishment. Really glad that you came out with this,” she wrote on Facebook. Phillip was also harassed by an Uber driver in December last year.
Actor Dulquer Salmaan, too, expressed his anguish in a Facebook post:
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor lauded the actress for filing a complaint despite the stigma women face during such incidents.
Actress Rima Kallingal lashed out at Kairali TV for including details of the actress’s assault in a story. While the footage was removed, several social media users alleged that the channel hinted at a romantic relationship between the victim and her abductor, insinuating a reason behind the assault.
The channel is run by the ruling CPI(M) party in Kerala. Rima, who subscribes to the party, called out this character assassination of the victim.
Following this, Kairali TV issued an apology on their online portal.
Rima, along with Geetu Mohan Das and other celebrities, then praised the actresses’s courage.
According to the Indian Express, Kerala Police Chief, Loknath Behra, has said that an investigation has been launched into the case, “and will make good progress.”
“We know who are behind this and we will very quickly arrest all of them and get to the bottom of the truth,” Behra is quoted as saying. The team is being supervised by ADGP B Sandhya, with IG of Police Dhinendra Kashyap as the key investigation officer.
Ramesh Chennithala, leader of opposition in the state assembly, declared that the incident sheds light on the plight of women in the country. “If this is the plight of a celebrity, what can one say about ordinary people? This is really shocking,” he’s reported to have said.
Featured image: Indian Express
