THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The One Billion Rising (OBR) campaign held at Sanghumukham on Thursday had an interesting culmination. Amrita Mohan, a college student, who led a bike rally and presented karate and kalaripayattu (traditional form of martial art that started in Kerala) at the event, had to deal with two men who abused her after the programme. In tune with the OBR campaign, which urges women to ‘Strike, dance and rise’ against violence, she beat them up and filed a complaint.

“After the event, I, along with my friends and family, reached Bakery junction for dinner. I was on a bike, my friends in an open jeep and my parents in a car. As I was parking my bike, an SUV with a government of Kerala board also pulled in. Apparently, the men inside the SUV thought my friends and I were alone. So, they tried to irritate us by honking continuously. When I stared back, they started abusing me. We got into a verbal spat. One of them used abusive language,” Amrita said.

Though it shocked her, Amrita immediately challenged him. He soon came back with his friend and challenged her. Little did he expect that the 20-year-old girl was an expert in martial arts . “My father and I took turns to beat them up,” said Amrita, who has a black belt in karate. She has also been practising kalaripayattu for the past 13 years.

A final year BA student, Amrita has registered a complaint against three men for abusing her.