Kerala High Court on Friday, September 13, asked the Malappuram Superintendent of Police (SP) to submit the action-taken report in a case filed by a woman accusing high-ranking police officials in Kerala, of sexual assault. The court ordered the SP to submit the report before September 24. The court also asked the Ponnani first class Judicial Magistrate court to submit the report on the actions taken based on the private complaint registered by the survivor.
In an interview with Reporter TV on September 6, the survivor alleged that former Malappuram Superintendent of Police (SP) Sujith Das, former Tirur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP) VV Benny, and former Ponnani Circle Inspector (CI) Vinod sexually assaulted her. Subsequently, she filed a complaint with the Malappuram SP.
Malappuram police initiated the investigation based on the complaint filed by the survivor without registering the First Information Report. The complainant also alleged that the police violated privacy after reaching her home to record the statement.
The alleged sexual assault occurred in 2022 when the woman approached the Ponnani police station to lodge a complaint related to a property dispute. She alleged that after she submitted a complaint to Ponnani CI Vinod, he went to her house and sexually assaulted her.
Later, she approached VV Benny, the then DYSP in Tirur, and told him about the assault. He allegedly forced her to provide sexual favors, which she refused to comply with. After the incident with DYSP, she approached the then Malappuram SP Sujith Das and he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
After the survivor’s television interview, the police officials denied the allegations calling it a conspiracy. While speaking with the media, Sujith Das denied the allegations, calling it a conspiracy to destroy his official and personal life. He also said he would take this up legally. VV Benny, an investigator in Muttil tree felling case, called it a political conspiracy by the Reporter Live channel to destroy his life and career.
Three brothers in the top management of the Reporter channel - Roji Augustine, chairman, Jose Kutty Augustine, vice-chairman and Anto Augustine, Managing Director and Managing Editor - are the key accused in the Muttil tree felling case.
