Bhavana Menon opens up about Kerala assault case involving Dileep
Popular Malayalam actress Bhavana Menon has decided to own the narrative of the ordeal that she had to go through five years ago. In 2017, the actress had been abducted and sexually assaulted in an incident that shook the nation. What is more, Malayalam superstar Dileep was arrested on grounds of allegedly masterminding the attack. Now, Menon has opened up about her journey.
Trigger warning to be noted
The following story might contain words or phrases related to sexual assault that can be triggering to some. Please read at your own discretion.
Know what had happened
In February 2017, Menon was abducted and raped by five men in a moving car. While investigating the case, police found a connection between Dileep and the gang that had carried out the assault. Then, he was arrested and is currently out on bail.
'My identity...suppressed under the weight of assault inflicted on me'
Taking to her Instagram handle, Menon shared a statement with no caption, except for a black heart, earlier on Monday. "This has not been an easy journey. The journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor," she wrote. "For 5 years now, my name and my identity have been suppressed under the weight of the assault inflicted on me."
She vowed to continue her fight to achieve justice
"Though I am not the one who has committed the crime, there have been many attempts to humiliate, silence, and isolate me," she penned, adding she "shall continue this journey [to achieve justice]." "For all those who are standing with me - a heartfelt thank you for your love (sic)," her post concluded. The same statement was shared in Malayalam as well.
Sharing her post on his Instagram feed, fellow Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran wrote: "Courage!" Notably, this step comes after the police registered a non-bailable case against Dileep, his brother Anoop, and other family members on Sunday. This was registered based on an audio clip that revealed there was an alleged "conspiracy" to murder Deputy Superintendent Baiju Paulose, the investigative officer in the assault case.
Dileep's recent feature in 'Vanitha' magazine earned him online wrath
Following the registration, the disgraced superstar has moved the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail regarding the new case. Recently, the Kerala state government had also formed a new investigative team to look into the assault case. Earlier, social media users had lambasted a popular magazine, Vanitha for featuring Dileep and his family on its cover, with attempts at allegedly whitewashing his image.
