Pinarayi Vijayan | Screengrab/Facebook/PinarayiVijayan
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government stands with the survivor of the 2017 sexual assault case, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said a day after the actress approached the high court fearing lack of support from the government as the further probe is nearing closure.
The government ensured justice for Vismaya and Uthra (who were killed in the state over dowry harassment). The survivor of the actress attack case will also get justice. It has been made clear that no VIP is above the law when the accused was arrested. Hands of the police are not tied. The government's position is also loud and clear. Would the UDF have ever arrested him if they were in power? he asked.
UDF is bringing such issues to the campaign of Thrikkakara bypoll fearing they are losing the ground. They will lose mental stability as the electron gets closer, the CM slammed.
The survivor, on other day, in her plea, had said that the Government of Kerala, which supported to the cause of the petitioner at the initial stage and allowed a fair investigation in the case by police officers of high integrity and took credit of the investigation politically, has backtracked from its constitutional and legal commitment of conducting a free, fair and complete investigation in the case.
Earlier today, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan reiterated that the Left government always extended its support to the survivor but said there was mystery behind how such a matter came up before the Thrikkakara by-election.
LDF convener EP Jayarajan had categorically rejected her allegations against the Left government and said it should be examined whether there was any vested interest behind her plea.
Balakrishnan said it was the Kerala government which invited the survivor to the International Film Festival of Kerala as a chief guest and honoured her. He said it was a gesture showing that the government was with the survivor.
"We would like to openly declare that the government and the party stand with the survivor. The government and the party will provide her all support and security. The Left government always stood with her," he said.
"Everyone knows with whom the accused is close with. Whom did they (Congress) invite for recent celebrations at Aluva municipality? We all know that one of the main officials of that event is now a Rajya Sabha MP. Their allegations that we are with the accused is going to backfire," Balakrishnan said in an apparent reference to an event in which Aluva Municipality, then ruled by Congress, invited actor Dileep to participate. Congress Rajya Sabha member from Kerala, Jebi Mather, was the deputy chairperson of the Municipality then.
The petition of the survivor also alleged that Dileep has unlawfully influenced some of the politicians of the ruling front in the state and attempted to interfere with the further investigation in the case and prematurely close the same.
The petition said even though the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) authorities had submitted a report to the court, the judge kept the same without making any entries in the court records.
The survivor also alleged that Dileep, a film star and a multimillionaire, was capable of "playing any heinous tricks to influence anybody" and do "any blackmailing techniques to keep others under his captivity."
(With inputs from PTI)
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