Alappuzha sexual assault case: Survivor questions delayed medical exam, police deny evidence loss

Amid allegations of delays in the investigation into the sexual assault of a woman IT professional in Kayamkulam, the survivor on Wednesday questioned the credibility of a medical examination conducted nearly two weeks after the incident. However, police denied the possibility of evidence loss, stating that a preliminary examination had already been conducted on the night of the incident.

The incident occurred on April 3 when the woman was returning from a pilgrimage to Malayattoor Church with her friend, the friend’s husband, and their two children. The vehicle they were travelling in rammed into a divider at the KPAC junction in Kayamkulam. The accused, who lives nearby, then volunteered to take the injured woman to a hospital in his goods auto. However, he allegedly groped her while carrying her into the vehicle.

With the investigation intensifying, a medical examination was scheduled for Wednesday but was later postponed to Thursday, the survivor told Onmanorama. She questioned whether such a delayed test could reliably indicate what had happened.

“A body naturally begins to heal with time. So what do they expect to find now?” she asked.

The woman said she fears the delay may have been a deliberate attempt to derail the case and destroy evidence.

“At the time of the incident I had severe bruises which were noticeably red. Now they have started to heal,” she added. Speaking to Onmanorama earlier, the survivor said the bruises were so evident that the doctor who performed her X-ray asked how she had sustained them.

“That’s when I broke down and shared my experience,” she said.

Responding to these concerns, the Alappuzha Police had dismissed the possibility of evidence being compromised. Officials stated that a basic examination had already been conducted on the day the woman was admitted to the hospital. 

“On the day the woman was admitted, the doctor conducted a basic examination. We have the details from that. So there is no fear of evidence being lost,” an official said, adding that the alleged offence did not involve rape.

On Monday, Alappuzha Superintendent of Police MP Mohana Chandran denied allegations of lapses in the investigation, stating there was no prima facie evidence of any. However, he acknowledged delays, attributing them to staff shortages due to public holidays and election duties assigned to police personnel.

The woman also alleged that the accused had threatened her friend against filing a complaint.

“At the hospital, he told my friend not to move legally against him. He asked us to leave for Kollam immediately,” she said. “Later, when her husband arrived at the police station to complete paperwork related to the accident, a friend of the accused approached him and offered money to settle the issue,” she added.

According to the woman, the accused and his associates sought her contact details from her friend and her husband, but the couple did not share them. She said the accused has not contacted her since the case was filed.

The accused, identified as Sinil Savaad from Chirakkadavam in Alappuzha, has been booked under Sections 74 (assault or criminal force to outrage modesty) and 75(1)(i) (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.