KOCHI: Rehana Fathima who circulated a video in which her children were seen painting on her semi-nude body surrendered at the Ernakulam South Police Station on Saturday after the Supreme Court dismissed her anticipatory bail plea.
Around 5 pm on Saturday, Rehana appeared before the police in connection with a case under the Prevention of Children against Sexual Offence (POCSO) and Information Technology (IT) Act after the Kerala Police's Cyber Dome reported the circulation of the video through social media.
"After the Supreme Court rejected anticipatory bail, she was summoned to the police station. After appearing before us, we recorded her statement. She will be produced before the magistrate court to be remanded in the case," a police official at Ernakulam South Police station said.
Earlier, the police had searched her residence and recovered a mobile phone used to shoot the video and a laptop in which the video was edited and uploaded on social media. The seized goods were sent to the forensic laboratory for further examination and retrieval of the content. Another case was also registered against her at Thiruvalla Police Station.
On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed her anticipatory bail petition after the Kerala High Court had also taken the same stand on her petition last month. Justifying her act, she had submitted that her children need to be imparted sex education and made aware of the body and its parts as well enabling them to view it as a different medium altogether rather than seeing it as a sexual tool alone.
Her children, a boy and a girl aged 14 and 8, were found painting on her semi-nude body in the video uploaded in June this year. The Kerala State Commission of Child Rights also had sought a report from the police and directed to register a case in the matter.
Rehana who was an employee of BSNL was dismissed from service this year. Rehana who advocates for gender equality came to the limelight after she attempted to enter Sabrimala following the Supreme Court order over the entry of woman in 2018.