In the last few days, multiple women have shared harrowing experiences of sexual abuse they allegedly faced at the hands of Sujeesh PS, a Kochi-based tattoo artist who runs the studio, Inkfected. On Friday, March 5, six women met with the Commissioner of Police in order to take legal action against Sujeesh, and two FIRs have been registered in this regard.
Via Kochi, a magazine that publishes cultural and city-based stories, had been helping the women who wanted to file complaints with the process. The Instagram page of the magazine had been coordinating the efforts to help the women come together and connect them with legal counsel in order to proceed. The man who runs the page spoke with TNM on condition of anonymity, and confirmed that they had helped the women draft and file the complaints.
“Four of them filed complaints yesterday at Palarivottam and Cheranalloor police stations yesterday, under which the two studios run by Sujeesh respectively fall. Today, they will again have a meeting with the commissioner and possibly a third complaint will be filed,” the Via Kochi source told TNM.
Maya*, one of the first persons to post her own experience with Sujeesh after the initial post on Reddit by an 18-year-old became viral, said that they had sent an email complaint because they are not based in Kochi at the moment. “The complaints were filed yesterday and we have received a notification that an FIR has been registered as well. Medical examinations are being done for some of the complainants as well,” Maya said.
Rahul, the lawyer of the women, spoke to Mathrubhumi and said that sections 354 (assault on woman with the intent to outrage modesty) and 376 (sexual assault) of the Indian Penal Code have been used.
Sujeesh PS has been accused by multiple women of groping, molesting and sexually assaulting them while they were getting tattoos made by him. An 18-year-old’s post on Reddit from over a week ago is said to be the first post which brought the issue to light. She accused him of asking her inappropriate and personal questions and sexually assaulting her. After the post was shared widely on Instagram, a number of people alleged similar experiences of sexual abuse. Several similar patterns emerged across accounts such as Sujeesh’s alleged attempts to get women to remove their clothes if the tattoo was on the upper torso, groping them, not allowing their friends to come into the room where he was making the tattoo, asking unwarranted questions about their personal lives and sex, and also knocking off a few hundred rupees as “discount” to the women he sexually abused.
Sujeesh has not responded to the allegations yet.
*Name changed