Woman sexually attacked in TVM, two cops suspended for ignoring her complaint

sexual assault
Representational image: Manorama Online

Thiruvananthapuram: Sexual assault on a woman in the capital city has raised fingers at the police. The woman faced sexual assault when she reached the general hospital junction around 10.30 pm on Sunday to purchase medicine. Though she filed a complaint with Pettah police, the cops on duty there ignored her complaint. Civil Police officers Ranjith and Jayaraj who attended the complaint were suspended from service based on the special branch report.

The two police officials neither recorded the statement of the woman who was hospitalised nor reported the matter to their higher officials.

According to the woman's complaint, a stranger attacked her when she was leaving for home on her two-wheeler after purchasing medicine from a store. The woman tried to escape from the attacker and drove at a high speed. But she was brutally attacked by the man who chased down her. She suffered severe injuries on her left eye and cheek as the attacker thrashed her head against a compound wall. Some woman in the neighbouring house and a security guard at a computer shop witnessed the crime. But no one intervened to save her.

The woman informed the matter to Pettah police after reaching home. But despite collecting information on the incident, the police didn't take any further action. Later, she filed a complaint with the city police commissioner.

State Women's Commission registers case
Kerala State Women's Commission has registered a suo moto case on the incident. The commission chairperson P Satheedevi slammed the police for handling the woman's complaint irresponsibly. After visiting the complainant, the chairperson noted that the cops should not have asked the woman to report at the police station to record the statement. The commission asked Pettah police to file a report on the incident.

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