JOIN USWoman criticises garlanding of man accused of exposing genitals onboard bus in Kerala
The young woman who recently pointed out an immoral act in a KSRTC bus by a male co-passenger on Sunday criticised the welcome given to him by a group of men under the aegis of 'All Kerala Men's Association'.
The woman said such associations want to ensure that women do not react to such incidents of misbehaviour.
"I don't understand what great act this man did, prompting a group of men to go to the jail and garland him. Was it that he sat on a KSRTC bus and opened his zip exposing his genitals? I think this association wants to ensure that no girl should ever react to such acts. If a girl reacts, they will target her, attack her and make sure that she never reacts," she told the media reacting to the incident.
The woman's bold and timely reaction questioning the accused Sayad K K's immoral behaviour on the spot and videographing it on her mobile phone helped police to arrest him.
The association had on Saturday night arranged a reception for Sayad, who was released on bail after he was arrested on May 18.
The crime took place when the woman was travelling to Kochi from nearby Thrissur. The accused, who came and sat beside her, initially spoke in a decent manner, she had said. After some time, he allegedly began touching her inappropriately and exposing his genitals after unzipping his pants, the woman had alleged.
Though the accused, who was not ready to admit the crime, tried to run away after getting off the bus, the conductor and the driver managed to catch him and hand him over to the police.
The young woman said she was now facing a lot of cyber abuse and threats from a section of men who are supporting him.
"Do they have any shame? Will anyone who has a little bit of shame, or a mother or a sister or a wife at home, garland him? I suffered a lot of trauma due to this incident. The other girl who sat next to him in the bus refuses to be a part of this. She is obviously worried. She is worried as if I am facing these many attacks, what will happen to her?" the woman said.
She said some men were now trying to make the victim a culprit.
"I am sure if it was any other girl, she would have hanged. I am unable to do my work. I cannot open my social media accounts due to threats and abuses," she said.
The woman had earlier said that after seeing her social media post about the incident, at least five women texted her saying they also had a similar experience with the same person in a moving bus.
Nedumbassery police had registered a case against the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.