Kerala assault case: MLA says survivor benefited professionally from incident
What's the story
Senior Kerala politician and ex-legislator PC George on Thursday said that the survivor of the 2017 sexual assault case has benefited professionally after the incident. He alleged that the actress, abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men in 2017, has not suffered much loss. The police have named 10 accused in the case, of which Malayalam actor Dileep is the eighth.
Context
Why does this story matter?
In February 2017, a popular Malayalam actor was abducted and sexually assaulted for over two hours in a car. But in December 2021, filmmaker Balachandrakumar released some audio clips, sparking a fresh investigation. In these clips, Dileep and others were allegedly heard talking about a conspiracy to murder the investigating officials in the assault case. Dileep, the eighth accused, is out on bail.
Details
'She may have suffered as a woman but…"
Geoge, who has been backing Dileep since 2017, allegedly even mocked the use of the word 'survivor', PTI reported. While stressing that the popular actress may have "suffered in life as a woman", George alleged that "she did not suffer any loss after the issue." The former Poonjar MLA said, "My belief is that she got benefit in other areas."
Twitter Post
What did PC George say?
Kerala | The survivor is getting many films now. I don’t think she suffered any loss after the issue. She might have suffered a loss on a personal level but she got benefits professionally: Former MLA PC George on actress sexual assault case involving actor Dileep
— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2022
(File pic) pic.twitter.com/oocbwKRuRn
PC George
Booked for sexual assault, communal comments
The Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) leader, who has served as the MLA at Poonjar Assembly for over three decades, has repeatedly claimed that Dileep is innocent. In July, the politician was also booked in a sexual assault case but was granted bail. Additionally, the Kerala police booked George in May for hateful comments against the Muslim community and promoting enmity between religions.
Assault case
What is the Kerala sexual assault case?
As per Kerala police, the actor who has worked in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly assaulted inside her car on February 17, 2017. The accused forced themselves into the vehicle. Dileep has been accused of being the mastermind behind the assault. In 2021, audio tapes revealed that Dileep and other accused had watched the assault's recording many times.
Survivor
Bhavana Menon opens up about the assault
Actor Bhavana Menon, who recently went public about the assault after five years, revealed that it turned her life upside down. Appearing on Mojo Story, she said, "My mind was constantly searching for something and somebody to find...so that I can put the blame on and I will have an easy exit because it was constant chaos in my mind."