More than a week after she has been showered with abuses and threats for expressing her views about a film, actor Parvathy remains defiant.
Following her comments at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) about the misogyny in the Mammootty starrer Kasaba, Parvathy has been relentlessly attacked on social media. However, cowards who've been indulging in this cyber warfare have chosen to mess with the wrong person.
On Wednesday, the Ernakulam Town South police arrested a man for his alleged involvement in the abuse. Printo C, from Vadakanchery, had reportedly threatened the actor that she'd never be able to work in the film industry again and that Mammootty fans will ensure the same. He'd also abused her family. Printo has been booked under Sections 67 and 67 A of the IT Act (publishing or transmitting sexually explicit material electronically) and Sections 507 (anonymous criminal intimidation0 and 509 of the IPC (outraging the modesty of a woman).
This is the first on ground step that the police has taken, based on the actor's complaint which was filed a few days ago. Faced with continued death and rape threats from social media accounts, many of which are also promoting the latest Mammootty film Masterpiece, Parvathy had approached DGP Loknath Behera, the cyber cell and the Chief Minister's Office with a complaint.
Following relentless rape and death threats on social media, Parvathy had filed a police complaint a few days ago.
"Death and rape threats were there, and so was work intimidation. Many of them threatened me saying I will go out of work for what I had said. They said my career would be finished," Parvathy had told TNM.
Parvathy has also reportedly said that one of the threats she received detailed how she would be raped if she stepped out for a film shoot, in a direct reference to the Malayalam actor assault case which shook the film industry in February this year.
The police has taken the case seriously and will be tracking more accounts which have issued such threats in the coming days. Another complaint has been filed regarding the abuse that women who've come forward in support of Parvathy, are facing.
Although she has been attacked on various fronts, Parvathy has refused to backtrack or apologise for her statements.
She has been clear on her stance: "We cannot control those on social media and we should not take away their freedom of speech. But people need to differentiate between what is abuse and what is not. At least a few who have crossed that line and sent sexual threats against women have to be held accountable," she had told TNM.
Meanwhile, Mammootty has remained silent throughout the abuse done in his name.