KOCHI: Living the retirement life of a former police officer and helping out at her family’s tiny spice unit in Aluva, P K Radhamani couldn’t find comfort in the fragrance enveloping her. She was unsettled, awaiting the much-anticipated verdict in the 2017 case.
It was her pen that first brought the incident to light—she was the one who recorded the victim’s statement, and the first person to hear what would be repeated in the halls of the legal system.
Radhamani had just taken charge as station house officer (SHO) at Infopark police station, after serving in the Women’s Cell. It was around midnight that she received a call from then Kochi commissioner M P Dinesh. It comprised a simple instruction: “There is an important case. You must come immediately.” She had no idea that she was being sent to actor-director Lal’s residence.
As they entered the approach road to Lal’s house in Padamugal, Kakkanad, she noticed several other vehicles moving to and from the premises. She encountered P Rajeeve (now a minister), who told her, “You should proceed to Lal’s house.” At the residence, the commissioner instructed Radhamani to record the statement of the survivor, who was inside.
“When I entered the room, I saw her in an extremely distressed state. So, instead of immediately beginning the procedure, I spent some time consoling her. I waited for her to regain composure. What I heard that night was something no woman should ever have to experience. I was deeply shaken,” she said.
Radhamani was part of the probe until a special team was formed, but continued to accompany the survivor on several occasions, including the medical examination, until retirement. The trial of the case is a stage in her service life that she would never want to revisit.
“As the officer who recorded the survivor’s statement and took part in the initial proceedings, I had to undergo four to five days of cross-examination. The defence counsel B Raman Pillai even alleged we had fabricated the statement. If an officer like me felt so traumatised, try to imagine what the survivor went through,” said Radhamani.
Radhamani said she still carries the pride of never deviating from what the law directed. She also appreciated the survivor for standing firm with courage, and noted that her family and close friends played a crucial role in supporting her.