Girl burnt with iron rods, cigarettes for resisting harassment in Kerala

news

Haritha John| The News Minute| November 11, 2014| 1.30 pm IST Two men broke into an 18 year-old girl’s house in Thrissur, Kerala and burnt her with a hot iron rod and cigarette butts on Saturday, just days after she filed a police complaint after being harassed by some men. Three days after the incident, the police have yet not made any arrests. Residents and activists who have taken up the case say the police did not even register a case initially. The girl, Neethu, wife of Sujith hailing from Edakkalathur, told Kairali TV that the two men entered her home through the back door. While one of them held her hands firmly behind her back, the other inflicted burns on her body with a hot iron rod and lit cigarettes. Earlier, Neethu had informed her husband that a conductor of a private bus plying on Thrissur-Kunnamkulam route had been misbehaving with her for the last few days. Sujith had then met the conductor and made an enquiry. Later, the girl was attacked by two persons, who claimed to be companions of the conductor, when she went to Kunnamkulam. Severely injured, she was hospitalized and a police complaint was also filed. The girl’s family believes the recent attacks to be an exacting of revenge for the police complaint filed earlier. According to reports, the two miscreants who broke in mentioned the previous incident and the police complaint. However, allegations have risen against the police for delaying action in the case. Even though the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, the police hesitated to take action till Sunday evening. A large number of residents including writer, Sarah Joseph, protested against it and picketed the station Sarah Joseph told The News Minute, “The incident happened on Saturday but police did not take any action, did not even bother to make an enquiry regarding the issue. Later along with some residents we conducted a march to the police station and then they agreed to arrest the accused within two days. But the accused are not yet arrested”. “The girl has severe injuries and now admitted in ICU, she could not resist the attack,” she added. Police officers however deny these accusations, "The girl was admitted to a hospital on Saturday and case was registered on the same day," a police officer at the Peramangalam police station told The News Minute. Case has been registered against two unknown people under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (causing voluntary hurt), 324 (using dangerous weapons), 452 (house trespass) and 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty).

Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.