A Students’ Federation of India (SFI) Area Secretary from Kerala was removed from his post after he recorded the washroom footage of a lady who is his neighbour. SFI is the student’s wing of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and the victim too is a CPM worker.
The accused is also an SFI district secretariat member, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Paravur block committee member and town president. It was also decided to remove him from all his communist party duties. DYFI is the quasi-militant wing of the CPM.
The recent immoral act on the part of the leader who was in charge of the social media of the area committee reportedly shocked the communist leaders of the area. These leaders were busy trying to settle the complaint filed by another girl’s family against a different DYFI block leader for harassment. That sexual harassment issue arose against a student leader, and it became a headache for the party area leadership.
Three weeks ago, the now disgraced SFI leader indulged in a perverted act against the young woman living near his house. When she entered the washroom to take a bath, the accused climbed up her house and recorded the footage through the bathroom ventilation.
He captured the footage on a mobile phone bought by the communist area committee for social media activities. The SIM card in the phone is in the name of the area secretary. When the young woman came to know that he had recorded the footage, she created trouble and assaulted the leader. Then, the woman forcibly grabbed the party’s phone, which was in the communist leader’s possession.
Although the local communist area leaders tried to negotiate several times, the woman was adamant that she would not return the phone. Local communist leaders allegedly pressured the young woman not to file a complaint with the police. The incident spread like wildfire on social media, but the party remained silent as if it knew nothing. The fact that the mobile phone bought with the party’s money has not been returned even after three weeks has put the leadership in a crisis.
Meanwhile, the area secretary and another leader went to the woman’s house for a discussion the other day. Finding a Congress leader and the ward councillor present at the victim’s house, the secretary left angrily. The councillor participated in the discussion at the insistence of the young woman’s family.
The young victim demanded that the erring leader should apologise in writing. Finally, the accused young man was summoned, and he wrote an apology and gave it to the young lady. A communist area committee member signed as a witness. The woman burnt the party’s mobile phone in front of everyone.
There is a strong protest in the ranks against the area leadership, which is trying to contain unethical trends and women’s issues without taking timely action. The young woman’s relatives claimed that the problems had worsened due to the stubbornness of the party area leadership, who tried to hide the incident. Some suggested that ideally, the local police should have intervened and arrested the accused and those who helped him.
Last week, Kerala police arrested a DYFI leader in a molestation case involving a Plus One student victim from Pathanamthitta. With this, the number of people arrested in the case increased to eight. The Sixth accused, Chittar Panniyar Puthanveettil Ashiq Azad (25), was arrested. Others detained included Palliparambil Sajad (25) and Thannimoottil Mohammad Rafi (24). Rafi is a Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) employee.
Azad is the second DYFI leader to be arrested in the sexual assault case involving 20 accused. Perunad DYFI Regional President Joel Thomas was earlier detained in the same case. Several other accused from Kannur, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts had yet to be arrested, the police said.
The minor victim and her assailants came to know each other through social media. From June 2021 to last month, the girl had to face sexual harassment from many people. The victim’s statement mentions the name of the DYFI leader and details of the torture. It was alleged that his arrest was delayed due to intense political pressure on the police.
According to the girl’s statement, there are 20 accused. Sixteen of them sexually assaulted her, while the remaining four were the ones who circulated the child’s nude video and footage. Her statement given to the police is that she was raped in a car in the parking area of a Star Hotel in Pathanamthitta town. Her father abandoned his family early, and her mother works abroad. The 16-year-old girl lives with her mother’s parents.
Last August, CPM was forced to act against DYFI Thrissur district secretary NV Vysakhan on a sexual harassment complaint raised by a CPM party worker. The CPM expedited the process when the victim said she would forward the complaint to the police.
Communists claimed that Vysakhan, subject to the complaint of the organising committee, was removed from all elected positions. This decision of the District Committee was submitted to the State Committee for approval. With this, Vysakhan was transferred from the post of District Secretary of DYFI. He also lost his Kodakara CPM Area Committee membership.
In the face of allegations, the party suggested Vysakhan go on compulsory leave. He was instructed not to participate in TV channel discussions (he was a familiar figure) and not to interfere in the affairs of DYFI as he was on vacation. Even after that, the victim activist stood firm on her complaint.
After the CPM gave Vysakhan compulsory leave based on the complaint raised by the party, he reached the opening ceremony of a DYFI procession. He participated in the program in violation of his party diktat. Vysakhan was seen on the stage but left after he could not speak.
There was pressure to file a complaint against Vysakhan to the police. There was opposition in the party to Vysakhan’s arrival at the inauguration ceremony, where he was advised to go on leave. He remains free.
