Thiruvananthapuram: A day after a leading Malayalam actress was kidnapped and assaulted in her car, police have arrested her driver and detained seven others for questioning.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday night when the actress was travelling from Thrissur to Ernakulam.
Sources said a tempo-traveller rammed into the vehicle in which she travelling. When the driver of the actress’s car got down after the collision, two men entered the car and assaulted her and tried to click pictures. They then drove the actress towards Ernakulam for the next half an hour, sources said.
On Sunday, police arrested the actress’s driver on suspicion of colluding with the attackers. They suspect a gang, led by the actress’s former driver, Pulsar Suni alias Sunilkumar, to be behind the attack.
Top police sources say the driver had been planning this “for months” and had not targeted the victim, but wanted to attack any actor using the film production company’s vehicle.
DGP Loknath Behra said an investigation was on and all accused would be booked.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said attacks on women “would not be tolerated”. “No accused in this case will escape the law. The police are after the accused. They will be booked and all efforts will be made to ensure maximum punishment. This is something that should not have happened,” he said.
“The police and government will take every step to book the culprits. I don’t want to create a political controversy. Entire Kerala is in a shock. We must take this as a warning,” former CM Oommen Chandy told CNN-News18.
Prominent actors of the Malayam film industry, too, have made spoken out against the incident on social media.
“It is most unfortunate to hear about this atrocity perpetrated on a Lady. Such acts should not only be condemned vehemently by one and all but exemplary punishment should be handed out to these criminals who are worse than animals so that it serves as a lesson to similar minded characters who I will not even term as humans. It's time we stop being candle holding and candle lighting sympathisers and ensure that the law of the land be strengthened in such ways that no body even dares contemplating such acts leave alone commit it. My heart goes out to her in this time of distress. May justice be served without delay (sic),” actor Mohanlal wrote in Facebook.
In a Facebook post, actor Prithviraj said: “Woke up today morning to the horrifying news that has by now been reported, misreported and sensationalised. As disturbing as it was, I refrained from saying something on what happened to one of the most beautiful girls I know because I knew whatever I or any one among our fraternity say, will only be fodder to click baits and TRP mongering. By now, all that can be said about the security of women in our "matriarchal/matrilineal" God's own country has already been said.”
“And yes..as a man who has to share the responsibility of a society that bears this shame, I hang my head! But please…the most we can collectively do at this moment…is to respect the guts of this girl… I know this girl...I know how brave she is...if it's affected her enough to make her stay away from what she loves the most…I can only imagine how harrowing it must have been. Yes...please let us have an effective investigation in place and please let's bring the bastards to justice asap...but please..let us also not allow anyone..ANYONE..to celebrate someone else's misfortune (sic),” he added.
Tovino Thomas also took to Facebook to express solidarity with the actress. “Absolutely shocked by what a friend has been subjected to, in the last few hours. The already insecure feeling for women here has become multi-fold. I was assured she is safe and well at home, but the whole thing has been alarming.”
“Firstly the inhuman behaviour of men, regardless of similar wombs from where they came. And then the trauma of fear. Fear for how the helpless situation will be perceived. Fear of how the incident will be projected. And fear for the consequences. Already, "social channels" with zero credibility are running their shows on digital media. Let's not immerse in the incident; look at the issue that needs addressing, the bigger picture,” he added.
A post by actress Manju Warrier said: “Kerala is proud of boasting about women's equality, but can it answer this horrific incident? Women's safety is not an issue which needs to be paid lip service to in speeches. It is not something that needs to be begged for. Women have every right to expect in return the respect they give men. Every time such incidents happen, we reduce the discourse to a few hashtags. The incidents are forgotten in a few days. Will there be no end to such abuse?”
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