THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Support is pouring in for dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi and her friends who manhandled YouTuber Vijay P Nair for posting defamatory videos. A number of eminent personalities from different walks of life have submitted a petition to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to drop the robbery and trespass charges against the three women, the others being activists Diya Sana and Sreelakshmi Arackal.
The signatories include poet Sugathakumari, writer Zacharia, journalist BRP Bhaskar, film editor Beena Paul, actresses Bhavana, Manju Warrier, directors Kamal, Siby Malayil, Renji Panicker.
The petition said it was unfortunate that the district sessions court rejected the anticipatory bail petitions of the trio. Police took no action against the YouTuber though several women had lodged complaints against him in the past. The attack by Bhagyalakshmi and others should be viewed in this backdrop.
But the police charged them with IPC Sections 392 and 452 thereby facilitating their arrest. Some experts have raised doubts over the legality of slapping these charges on them. "Hence, we are submitting an urgent appeal to reexamine these charges against them," they said.
"We appeal to avoid a situation in which their anticipatory bail is rejected by the High Court and their arrest. You should not allow a situation in which those who spoke on behalf of all women are further humiliated," they said.
After the rejection of their bail petition by the sessions court, the trio are absconding. They would approach the high court shortly and the police, reportedly as per the instruction of the government, have not taken a proactive stand to nab them. The trio attacked Vijay P Nair at a lodge room on September 26. Diya Sana did a Facebook live on the attack and the video went viral in no time.