The Kochi woman who was allegedly molested by Government pleader Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran a few weeks ago, told Manorama News on Thursday that Manjooran had indeed grabbed her on the road.
Recounting the incident that occurred when she was on her way back home from work on July 14, the woman said, “He grabbed me as he passed by me. He first pretended to not know anything and tried to flee when I raised alarm. After he was caught by some locals, he apologized to me saying that he has a wife and two girl children. We then informed the police. I was told the media had gathered outside the police station by then,” she said.
The woman also claimed that on the morning after the incident Dhanesh’s parents and wife approached her at her residence requesting her to help him get bail.
“They told me his wife had attempted suicide after learning about the incident and said that the family was set to leave for Vellore for their daughter’s treatment. They kept justifying his character, but I am certain that he is the one who molested me,” she said.
The woman added that a section of lawyers is also trying to protect Manjooran, but she will continue to pursue the case.
A week ago, a witness to the incident, Shaji Joseph, told The News Minute that he had seen Manjooran grabbing the woman. Manjooran had claimed that he was trying to help the woman catch a culprit who tried to snatch her chain and was being accused in a case of mistaken identity. However, Shaji said that this was not true and that he had clearly seen Manjooran grab the woman and flee only after she cried out for help.
Since the incident was first reported, the issue has snowballed into a huge controversy, with lawyers accusing the media of propagating false information against Manjooran. The Kerala High Court Advocates Association backed Manjooran’s claims that he had tried to help the woman whose chain was snatched off.