Who Is Mayookha Johny, Athlete Pursuing Justice For Friend In A Rape Case?

Who is Mayookha Johny? The Olympian and record-holding Indian track and field athlete is making headlines for pushing the fight for justice for a friend she is alleging was raped in 2016.

In allegations related to the case recently handed over to the Crime Branch in Kerala, Johny claimed negligence and mishandling on part of the state police, the former chief of Kerala Women's Commission and a former minister, as per reports. Read about it here.

At a press conference in June this year, she 33-year-old athlete said, "The accused was powerful. So the survivor was scared to complain. But he kept on threatening her," alleging the perpetrator - one Chungath Johnson - had taken nude videos to blackmail the survivor too.

According to reports, Aloor Police in Kerala last week registered a case against Johny and nine others on charges of criminal conspiracy. This came following a complaint by an associate of CC Johnson, an ex-church trustee, who has reportedly been named in the case. Read here.

All You Should Know About Who Is Mayookha Johny

Mayookha Johny is one of the country's leading athletes, currently holding the national record for triple jump. She has represented India internationally, including at the 2012 Asian Games, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Johny specialises in long jump and triple jump, with her best record in the former being 6.64 metres and the latter being 14.11 metres - both achieved a decade ago. More recently, Johny has grabbed headlines for consistently rallying behind a friend she claims was raped five years ago, urging due action in the case.

The Kerala High Court on July 19 asked the investigating officer in the rape case to present their report after the survivor's lawyer said the investigation was not moving forward. As per a PTI report, the public prosecutor told the court a probe was on and several phones have been seized in connection to Johny's friend's allegations.

The matter is listed for hearing next on July 30.

Picture credit: Mathrubhumi