Last Friday, Kerala police arrested a serving jawan after a Muslim student claimed that he plied her with alcohol and allegedly molested her. Following the complaint, Alappuzha police arrested Pratheesh Kumar (31), a native of Pathanamthitta. The latest news suggested that the allegations were false.

Allegedly, the incident took place on the Rajdhani Express on Thursday night. The complainant is a student at Manipal University near Udupi in Karnataka and hails from Thiruvananthapuram. She claimed the molestation happened between Ernakulam and Alappuzha. Both of them were returning home when the alleged incident occurred.

Pratheesh currently serves in Jammu and Kashmir and was coming home for vacation. The Muslim lady claimed the serving jawan climbed onto the upper berth and ‘befriended’ her. She alleged the accused forced her to consume alcohol and sexually assaulted her once she became tipsy.

The student boarded the train from Udupi. Interestingly, her husband complained to the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Police on Friday evening. Immediately, Kerala Police went to Pratheesh’s house and arrested him.

Pratheesh admitted that he shared alcohol with the woman but testified that he had not sexually assaulted her. Kerala police believed the Muslim lady’s version. Left/jihadi-leaning media pounced on the story and wrote reams about the ‘rapist jawan.’ Siraj News, the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama mouthpiece, added that the lady had been undergoing treatment for depression for the past month.

Since the incident occurred between Ernakulam and Alappuzha, the case was handed over to Alappuzha Railway Police. A team led by Railway Police Ernakulam DYSP Manoj Kabeer, Ernakulam Circle Inspector Crispin Sam, and Alappuzha Sub Inspector H S Shanif arrested Pratheesh. Kerala Kaumudi reported that Pratheesh was charged with rape, produced in court, remanded for 14 days, and sent to Alappuzha Subjail.

Contradictions

Railway police now contend the case is mysterious and plans to approach the court. They intend to record a 164 statement from the alleged victim. The girl told police that Pratheesh sexually assaulted her after stealthily mixing alcohol in a soft drink. Later the lady allegedly confessed she asked for and consumed alcohol of her own free will.

Police claim they arrested Pratheesh based on circumstantial evidence. Trains, especially ones like Rajadhani Express, always run fully booked through Kerala. To even believe that a Bharatiya soldier would indulge in such cheap mischief on a train packed with passengers is foolish. 

The primary logical question was how did the alleged harassment occur when there were several other passengers in the compartment. Railway police contacted several passengers who traveled in the same compartment. All of them replied they had never witnessed such an incident. There are no witnesses, so the police cannot confirm the girl’s statement.

Janmabhumi reported that though a medical examination of the victim was conducted, there are no reports regarding the sexual assault. This is why investigating officers have decided to file a case and submit the lady’s 164 statement in court. Such statements are not substantive evidence and can only be used for corroboration.

The Muslim lady allegedly told her husband and mother that she consumed alcohol voluntarily and fell asleep. Later, she ‘felt’ as if someone had touched her body parts. Railway authorities are planning to approach the court as the girl is still adamant about her statement that she was molested.

At the same time, Pratheesh’s superiors received reports that a lady was treated indecently on the train, and the jawan was arrested. Based on this, there will be action against Pratheesh. Meanwhile, experts opined the best way to solve this crime is for a third party to investigate the case.

It is well-known that educated radical Islamist Keralite ladies hate Bharatiya authorities, especially our military personnel, for many reasons. They have long targeted those who serve in Kashmir. Communists and jihadis have built a cheap narrative that our army officers indulge in rape and plunder.

Military Intelligence should investigate both sides of the story and reveal the truth. Such incidents should act as reminders for all military personnel. Did Pratheesh’s trustfulness land him in jail and jeopardize the young man’s career? Local media shunned news about the latest revelations in the case.

Incidentally, this is the third instance of alleged trumped-up charges against a serving jawan being reported from Kerala in the past six months. More details are available here and here. The public is yet to know the truth about these cases. Hope our Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs are monitoring the recent changes in our society.