Kerala: 32-year-old gang-rape survivor forced to withdraw complaint, alleges police harrasment

A gang-rape survivor in Kerala, on 3 November, alleged that she was forced to withdraw her complaint as a police officer humiliated her by asking inhuman questions.

According to a report in NDTV, the victim, who was gangraped by her husband's friends, went public with her story on Thursday and said that the police officer allegedly asked her "Which one of them gave you the greatest pleasure?"

The 32-year-old woman in a statement to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram said that more than the rape, it was the police threats and humiliation that was unbearable for her.

The victim initially shared her story with prominent dubbing artiste and activist Bhagya Lakshmi, who in turn shared it on Facebook. The post drew response from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, reported a daily. The Chief Minister and Kerala police chief are expected to meet the victim today.

Lakshmi in her Facebook post wrote, "She told me it's fortunate that Jisha and Soumya died or they would have to face repeated humiliation."

The 32-year-old victim was raped two years ago when her husband's friends took her somewhere on the pretext that her husband was in hospital. According to media reports, the woman alleged that the men took turns to rape her and alleges that one of them is a senior politician.

Two year later, when she told her husband about this, he urged her to file a police complaint. NDTV quoted the victim as saying, "I was called to the police station for four days continuously and made to sit there from morning to evening. I was asked humiliating questions."

"They later gave me a letter to produce before the magistrate and forced me to withdraw the case. They made me sign papers but I don't know what was in it."