Pathanamthitta (Kerala) [India], December 15 (ANI): Passengers on board a KSRTC bus from Thiruvananthapuram to Kalpetta on Saturday protested after a film starring actor Dileep, who was one of the accused in the 2017 Kerala actress assault case and was later acquitted, was played during the journey.
A group of women passengers objected to the screening, citing the actor’s association with the actress’s assault case. Following the protest, the bus staff stopped the film.
However, the situation escalated when some male passengers allegedly intervened in support of the actor, leading to a heated argument on the bus.
Lekshmi R Shekhar, a passenger on the bus, shared details of the incident with ANI.
She said, “Yesterday, I was travelling from Kesavadasapuram to Adoor. My son and husband were with me. On that KSRTC bus, the film Parakkum Thalika, starring Dileep, was being played. The movie was played at a very loud volume. Watching and listening to that film, in the present circumstances, and having to endure it for a 2.5-hour journey on a KSRTC bus was extremely uncomfortable for me.”
She continued, “So I raised this issue with the conductor and asked that the movie be switched off. I also told him that otherwise I would get off at the next stop. Accordingly, I decided to get down at Vattappara. When we say we stand with the survivor, this is how we must act in practice. I asked all the passengers on the bus whether they were interested in watching this movie. Except for two people, all the women clearly said they were not interested in watching it.”
Lekshmi’s objection was supported by the other passengers, but a couple of people opposed it, citing the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court verdict in the case.
She said, “Not only that, they all stood with me and told the conductor that the movie should be switched off. They said they were not interested in being forced to watch it, and therefore, it must be turned off. All of us said we stand with the survivor. Respecting the opinion of the majority, the conductor switched off the TV.”
“After that, one or two people who appeared to be travelling after consuming alcohol created an issue, saying that the case has already been settled in court. But only a lower court has given a verdict in this matter; the case is still pending in higher courts. Until the survivor gets justice, every self-respecting woman must stand with her,” added Lekshmi.
The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Friday sentenced all six convicts to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in the 2017 actress assault case.
Prior to the verdict, the Sessions Court had acquitted Malayalam actor and the eighth accused, Dileep, in the 2017 case.
The case pertained to an actress who worked in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films and was allegedly abducted and molested inside her car by a group of men who forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017. (ANI)
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