A Malayalam actress was abducted and allegedly assaulted by an unknown group of people at around 10 pm on Friday, February 17, near Athani in Angamaly while she was returning to her house from a shooting location in Thrissur.
Also read: All we know so far about the incident
Latest updates: Pulsar Suni still on the run, as suspicion of popular actor's involvement strengthens; Dileep reacts to fake news and more
Celebs support actress; check how they reacted on social media
According to the complaint registered by the South Indian actress at Nedumbassery police station, the assault on her happened on Friday night when she was on her way to Kochi. A group of men, including her former driver Sunil Kumar aka Pulsar Suni, hit her car at Athani near Angamaly, and forcefully entered the vehicle, threatening her driver Martin. Following this, they apparently roamed around in the vehicle for about one hour, and escaped in another car when they reached Palarivattom in Kochi. The gang also tried to take photos and videos of the actress.
Photos: Dileep, Manju Warrier, Mammootty and others rally for justice
It is understood that the entire incident was pre-planned, as Sunil, who was earlier the driver of the actress, had lost his job after he was accused in a murder case. The investigators tracked the call history of both the drivers, and have arrested the current driver, Martin, of the Honey Bee actress, as they suspect his involvement in what appears to be staged plan. Sunil is also said to be involved in supplying drivers to shooting locations.
Celebrities and politicians react
Malayalam actor and member of Parliament for Chalakudy, Innocent, who is also the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), has requested top police officials to take an immediate action against the assaulters.
Other members of the film fraternity also expressed their anger online. "If this can happen to a celebrity, how safe is our city/state/country for ladies? I hope those bastards are arrested soon. And that she stays strong through all this! She has shown immense courage by letting this out in the media so that it doesn't happen again to anyone else! Most others would have tried to keep quiet about the whole thing. I hope our reel heroes show at least a fraction of that courage to stand up for her, like they would do in the movies [sic]," subtitlist Vivek Ranjit posted on his Facebook page.
Popular dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi requested the authorities to unveil the truth behind the incident. "After hearing the news, I had tried calling her, but her phone was switched off. I have often heard of managers and drivers associated with actresses later cheating them, but this is the worst case so far. In shooting locations, few have opened up on their experiences, and once a person had told me about her driver attempting to kill her. This can happen to any women, therefore it is important for us to take care of ourselves. There is no point in complaining after something happens [translated from Malayalam]," Bhagyalakshmi told Manorama News.
Former Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala criticised the handling of the law and order situation in the state by the Kerala government while condemning the attack on the actress.
How safe are women?
The news on the South Indian actress getting assaulted on a Kerala highway at around 10 pm raises the important question about the safety of women in the state with high literacy rate.
Similar incidents have been reported from different parts of the country, but this is perhaps the first time a mainstream actress has been attacked in Kerala, alarming people in the state. "If this happens to a celebrity, then what would be the situation of common people like me?," asks Chithra M, a 23-year-old student, who is shocked after hearing the news.
"Even after Soumya and Jisha's murder, people in Kerala haven't learned any lesson. Most of these people doesn't know to respect women. I don't feel safe to be here," says Nidhi Shankar, a human resources executive who belongs to the state.
Many ordinary citizens are surprised that this has happened in Kerala. "The accused Sunil, who also has criminal background, is the one who apparently supplies drivers to shooting location for the 'safe' travel of artistes, and I think proper measures have to be taken in recruiting drivers by coming up with a database about their whereabouts," suggests Albin Suresh, 26, an engineer who hails from Kerala.
Some residents, however, believe it is a one-off case. "I don't think there is any point in bringing women's safety in connection with the case," says Anand J, a 26-year-old engineer. "As far as I understand from the news channels, it is a planned extortion attempt that can happen to both men and women. This news got attention just because she is a celebrity, but it would be different if it was some one like me."
