Kerala Women’s Panel Chief Gets Threats, Rights Body Calls For Probe

Kerala Women’s panel chairperson M C Josephine on Thursday (Sept 14) received threat letters and packets of human excreta through post.  After a complaint from Josephine, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) directed the state police chief to conduct a probe.

Earlier, the women’s panel had filed an FIR against MLA, P C George, for his comments on the sexual assault of a southern actress in Kochi in February. The women’s panel chief is of the view that the threat has a strong connection with the crime against the actress and the MLA's response to it. She said that it was evident from the letter which has references to both the incidents.

The women’s panel complained about it to the state police chief. It said that the Women in Cinema Collective has also received threats from anonymous sources, TNIE.

“Police told the court that the attack on the actress is grievous than the Nirbhaya incident. If so, how can she return to the sets of movie the next day? In which hospital did she seek medical assistance?”

The MLA has refused to tell his side of the story after the panel filed a complaint against him. He also said that the women’s panel is not capable of giving him capital punishment for what he said.

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In February, four men allegedly held a Malayalam actress captive in a car on the way to Fort Kochi. She was going there for a shoot. The men molested her. They also took pictures of her and threw her out near the house of a director. He then called the police.

The Kerala MLA was at a public event in Allapuzha in July where he commented on the incident. He said, “Police told the court that the attack on the actress is grievous than the Nirbhaya incident. If so, how can she return to the sets of movie the next day? In which hospital did she seek medical assistance?” News 18 reported.

The statement attracted much criticism as people called it out for its “victim-blaming” and “insensitivity”.

Picture credit- Manorama Online