Rahul P Gopal, the accused in the Kozhikode domestic violence case, has fled to Germany even as the Kerala police is trying to take him into custody. Rahul is accused of subjecting his wife of one week Neha*, a 26-year-old hailing from Ernakulam, to brutal torture allegedly over dowry. Rahul, a 29-year-old aeronautical engineer working in Germany, married the survivor on May 5 at the Guruvayoor temple. Neha works as an engineer in a private company in Thiruvananthapuram.
Rahul allegedly took the help of his friend Rajesh in fleeing to Germany. “The investigation team has informed us that Rajesh has been arrested. We were also told that Rahul’s mother Usha Kumari and sister Karthika will be questioned soon,” Neha’s brother told TNM.
He also said that the family has been informed that Rahul escaped to Singapore via Bangalore airport and then went to Germany. “It was Rajesh who brought the flight tickets and dropped him at the Bangalore airport,” Neha’s brother said.
“The investigation team assured us that they would make all the efforts to bring back Rahul through the Interpol,” he said. “The police have informed Rahul’s employers in Germany about the case and that he fled from India. Rahul’s bank accounts in India have also been broken,” Neha’s brother added. Reports say that the Interpol has issued a blue corner notice, to collect additional information about his location and activities.
In the meantime, following serious allegations of negligence against the Pantheerankavu police by Neha and her family, the investigation was assigned to a new team headed by Feroke Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Saju K Abraham. Followed by a report submitted by the ACP, Pantheerankavu Circle Inspector AS Sarin has been suspended for causing significant delay in the investigation.
The family had earlier alleged that the Pantheerankavu police did not cooperate with them. “The police asked us, ‘Isn't this natural?’” her brother said. Neha also alleged that the police had not recorded her statement clearly. Later, her statement was recorded again by the new investigation team in Ernakulam on May 15.
When TNM met Neha two days after the assault, she had recollected the torture she underwent in the early hours of May 12. “He beat me on my face, head, and ear. After a point, I almost lost consciousness. He shouted at me and kept telling me that he would kill me. He then tried to kill me by strangling me with the cable of a phone charger. Luckily, I managed to get hold of the cable with my left hand and escaped narrowly. Then I tried to escape from the room but he dragged me to the bed and beat me using his belt. He pressed his fingernails into my lips and neck,” she recollected.
Meanwhile, a video of Rahul admitting to the assault is circulating in the media. He claimed that the reason for the assault was not dowry, asking why he would need a car when he lives in Germany. His mother and sister also admitted to the media that Rahul assaulted Neha. They too repeated the claim that the assault was not related to dowry harassment.
Additionally, Rahul’s family gave multiple bytes to the media aimed at shaming the survivor, including allegations that she consumes alcohol and that they have evidence proving this. However, Neha’s brother alleged that Rahul and his family forced her to consume alcohol and that Rahul’s friend Rajesh had photographed it. “We suspect that the assault was pre-planned. They forced her to consume alcohol. They might have taken the photo just to use that if the assault becomes news,” he said.
Neha’s brother also said that 20 sovereigns of her gold are in the possession of Rahul’s family. Her Aadhaar card and other important documents are also with them, he said, adding, “The police asked Rahul to return Neha’s things, but they only gave us some clothes. When we asked about the documents, they said it’s missing.”
When Neha went to the Pantheerankavu police station to lodge the complaint, she returned her thali mala (sacred marital chain). “Even though the wedding was on May 5, it had not been registered yet,” Neha’s brother added.
After the assault became news, several controversies erupted regarding Rahul’s ‘previous marriage’. The media reported that he had married twice before his wedding with Neha.
Rahul’s sister told the media that before he married Neha, he had been engaged to another woman. Their marriage had been legally registered before the ritualistic wedding. The sister said that this was because Rahul had planned to relocate to Germany with the woman after marriage and that they had registered it ahead to make the visa process quicker. However, the engagement was called off and the divorce process is reportedly ongoing.
However, Neha’s family told TNM that they were unaware of Rahul’s ‘previous marriage’ at the time of her wedding. However, in TNM’s earlier conversation with Neha, she had said that she was aware of his earlier engagement and not that the marriage had been registered. “I knew that he was engaged and that the engagement was called off. I didn't know the reason for it then, but now I know that it too was because of demands for dowry made by his family,” she alleged.
Neha’s brother told TNM that Rahul cheated both their family and Neha by hiding the ‘previous marriage’. “It is cheating. Why did he marry my sister without mentioning anything?” he asked.
*Name changed.