Page 3 - Sexual Assault

Sexual assault: Row intensifies as Kerala govt accused of shielding accused

Protests raged in Kerala on Friday as outrage grew over shocking accounts from several female actors in the Malayalam film industry, with the Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, accusing the CPI(M)-led government of shielding the culprits, including actor-politician Mukesh, who stands accused of sexual assault. Mahila Congress activists in Kochi and Kollam took to the streets, demanding the resignation of CPI(M) MLA Mukesh and a thorough investigation into the shocking allegations of sexual misconduct made by female actors in the Malayalam film industry to the Justice Hema Committee. In Kochi, demonstrators vented their anger by beating effigies of Mukesh, Sidhique, and Ranjith -- all accused of sexual assault -- with brooms. In Kollam, a protest march was held outside Mukesh's residence, with activists calling for his immediate resignation as MLA. Satheesan alleged that the accused in the Malayalam film industry scandal are being protected by a "power group" within the ruling

Badlapur case: HC seeks Maha govt's reply over suspended edu officer's plea

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to respond to a plea filed by an education officer from Thane district seeking a stay on his suspension following the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school in Badlapur. The officer, Balasaheb Rakshe, urged the high court to stay the suspension order pending a final hearing of his petition before the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT), which refused him interim relief on August 26. He requested the high court to restrain the state government from appointing any other officer in the post. Rakshe moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on his suspension order, claiming the government order was "politically motivated" and he had been made a "scapegoat". A division bench of Justices A S Chandurkar and Rajesh Patil directed the government to file an affidavit by September 6 when it would hear the plea. Rakshe's advocate, S B Talekar, sought the court to order a status quo until then, but the court said

Aspiring male actor files sexual assault complaint against director Ranjith

A new complaint has been filed against director Ranjith by an aspiring male actor, alleging that the director forced him to strip naked and sexually assaulted him

Kerala police files 2nd FIR against Jayasurya following sexual allegations

Actress Sonia Malhar addressed the issue and revealed shocking incidents of mistreatment and exploitation

HC grants time to Brij Bhushan to file note seeking quashing of FIR

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted time to former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and ex-BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to file contentions for seeking quashing of the FIR and charges framed against him in a sexual harassment case lodged by several women wrestlers. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted two weeks to Singh and listed the matter for further hearing on September 26. Petitioner seeks time to prepare a short note raising all the contentions for seeking quashing of the charge sheet and all other proceedings emanating therefrom. Two weeks are granted to do so, the court said. The plea was opposed by the counsel for the State and the victims who contended that it was not maintainable. The complaints were made by six women wrestlers and the trial court found that the complaint of one of them was time barred so it framed charges based on the complaints of five victims, senior advocate Rebecca John submitted, adding that, this shows there was a deep applicatio

Shameful incidents of assault have not reduced since Nirbhaya: Shabana Azmi

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi says outrage over cases of crimes against women should not be selective and the society needs to work on the root cause of the menace. Azmi said there is need to end the patriarchal mindset of the people as sexual assault cases have not decreased since the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. The actor attended the roundtable conference on 'Creating a Safer World for Children', organised by Pune-based Gravitas Foundation in association with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday evening. At the conference, the veteran was asked to comment on the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata as well as the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls at a school in Badlapur in Maharashtra. "There has to be an outrage and not just today, the outrage should have taken place way back. And it should not be selective that in one case, it is political... All these incidents are extremely dangerous. "If we continue looking (at these incidents) ...

Hema Committee report: Opposition slams govt's inaction, asks 5 questions

In a scathing attack on the Left government in Kerala, the Congress-led opposition on Wednesday raised five pointed questions on the Hema committee report, alleging a blatant cover-up and accusing the Pinarayi Vijayan-headed dispensation of shielding key persons by glossing over crucial facts. Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, V D Satheesan, alleged that the government is on the defensive regarding the Hema Committee report. "The government is trying to save some individuals by playing hide-and-seek. The government's actions are creating an impression among the public that everyone in the film industry is troublesome. "However, there are many good people in the film industry. The government is hiding the real culprits, which is why even innocents are being humiliated in Kerala. The government should resolve this issue," Satheesan told reporters at Puthanathani in Malappuram. The opposition leader accused the government of silence and evasion over the Hema Committee report

'Deeply sorry': Mamata dedicates Trinamool foundation day to Kolkata victim

The West Bengal Chief Minister's message comes after a protest march, dubbed 'Nabanna Abhijan', where security forces used water cannons, lathi-charges, and tear gas to disperse protestors

Malayalam director Ranjith, actor Siddique resign over abuse allegations

Noted actor Siddique on Sunday resigned as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A.) following sexual assault allegations raised by a woman actor on August 24. Talking to a television channel, the senior actor said he had sent his resignation letter to the President of the organisation, Mohanlal. "Yes. I have tendered my official resignation to the president of the organisation, Mohanlal. Since there were allegations against me, I have decided not to continue in the post and resigned," Siddique said. A female actor had on Saturday alleged Siddique had sexually abused her after inviting her for a movie discussion. The allegations came in the wake of the churn in the Malayalam film industry following the release of Justice Hema Committee report, which pointed towards numerous incidents of casting couch and sexual abuse in the field. The report had revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry, prompti

HC rebukes police, state on mishandling Badlapur school sexual abuse case

'If schools are not a safe place, then what is the point of talking about right to education?', Bombay High Court questions authorities in Badlapur assault case

HC takes suo motu cognisance of Badlapur school assault; hearing today

Protests on Badlapur sexual assault case escalate in Maharashtra - Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition calls for a Maharashtra-wide bandh on August 24

Sexual abuse at Badlapur school: What happened & why are people protesting

Two four-year-old girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by a cleaning staff member in Thane's Badlapur school last week

Statsguru: Violence mars the path to women's empowerment in India

Moreover, significant disparities in wages paid, overall employment and education continue for women, data from the report shows

Air India cabin crew assaulted at London hotel, airline begins probe

A female cabin crew member of Air India was allegedly assaulted by an intruder at a London hotel earlier this week, according to sources. The airline is pursuing the matter with the local police. In a statement, an Air India spokesperson said it was "deeply anguished by an unlawful incident of intrusion at a hotel, operated by a major international chain, that affected one of our crew members". Sources in the know said a homeless man barged into the room at the hotel where the female cabin crew was staying and assaulted her. As she shouted, others staying nearby came and rescued her and the person was caught, they added. One of the sources said the cabin crew was allegedly sexually assaulted at the hotel while two other sources claimed it was a physical assault. The incident happened at a star hotel near the London Heathrow airport, the sources added. The airline in the statement said it is providing all possible support to the colleague and their broader team, including profess

Strict action will be taken: Jindal after woman accuses firm CEO of assault

Responding to the alleged allegations of the woman, founder of Jindal Steel, Naveen Jindal, thanked her for reaching out and speaking up and said that strictest and necessary action will be taken

Why is author and Nobel laureate Alice Munro in the news? Explained

Alice Munro, celebrated for her literary prowess and awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013, is often regarded as one of the greatest short-story writers. Read on to find out why she is in the

Bhole Baba, linked to Hathras stampede, faces sexual assault charges

Dalit preacher has following among SCs and OBCs in rural UP, Rajasthan, MP

Bengaluru court rejects Prajwal Revanna's bail plea in sexual assault case

Prajwal Revanna has faced mounting legal and political turmoil since disturbing videos allegedly showing him assaulting multiple women surfaced ahead of polls

HC reduces life sentence in POCSO case, cites no valid reason for penalty

The Karnataka High Court has reduced the sentence of an accused in a POCSO Act case from life imprisonment to 10 years, emphasising the need for valid reasons when imposing the maximum penalty. The accused, a 27-year-old man from Chikkamagaluru, had his appeal partially allowed by a division bench consisting of Justices Sreenivas Harish Kumar and C M Joshi. However, the court increased his fine from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000. The case involved the accused befriending and repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in his neighborhood in June 2016. The girl's mother filed a complaint in December 2016 after finding that her daughter was pregnant. A DNA test confirmed the accused as the biological father. The police registered an FIR and filed a charge-sheet following their investigation. On June 11, 2018, a special court in the district headquarters town of Chikkamagaluru sentenced the accused to life imprisonment under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and imposed a Rs 5,000 fine after finding

Sexual abuse case against Prajwal Revanna's brother Suraj handed to CID

A 27 year-old man had complained to the police that Suraj Revanna, the eldest son of Holenarasipura MLA H D Revanna, sexually abused him