JOIN USCPM relieved as assault survivor actress happy with government
The popular south Indian actress, who survived a sexual assault in 2017, called on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday to explain her reservations about suspected political intervention to sabotage her case. She was said to have received favourable assurance from the Chief Minister.
After her meeting with Pinarayi, the actress informed the media that it wasn’t her intention to criticise the government, but she had moved the court to raise her concerns. She also said that after receiving the Chief Minister's assurance of a fair investigation, she is much more confident of getting justice.
The actress’s “confidence” had given the ruling CPM much needed relief as Congress, as the party in opposition, has been using the actress’s concerns to heckle the government over women’s safety, especially since the by-poll to Thrikkakkara Assembly constituency is in Kochi—where the assault took place in 2017—and is just days away.
Adverse remarks by CPM leaders, including party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, that raised suspicions over the actress’s fresh allegations had put the CPM on the backfoot in state politics.
In a recent petition filed with the High Court, the sexual assault survivor had alleged that she suspected political interventions were at play to save the accused, which included popular actor Dileep. She had also lamented in her plea that although senior lawyers were suspected to be tampering with the evidence, the police had not initiated any action against them.
The Chief Minister was learnt to have held a meeting with top police officials to discuss the case after his meeting with the actress.