Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 19 : Amid chaos over the suicide of a man accused of misbehaviour in a viral bus video, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Monday asserted that the police will take appropriate action if any fault is found on the part of the woman.
Speaking to ANI, she said that the police are conducting an inquiry into this matter.
"The police are inquiring. We don't know what has actually happened, but suicide is not a solution. Let the police investigate the incident. If there is a fault on the part of the woman, there will be appropriate action," said George.
Kerala State Human Rights Commission on Monday has directed the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), North Zone, to conduct an inquiry into the death of a youth who was found hanging days after a woman shared a video on social media alleging sexual harassment on a bus.
The Commission's Judicial Member, K Baijunath, has asked for an investigation report to be submitted within one week. The matter will be considered during the Commission's sitting scheduled to be held at the Kozhikode Public Works Rest House on February 19.
The action was taken based on complaints filed by advocates V Devadas and Abdu Rahim Pookkath. According to the complaints, the young man became distressed after the video was made public by the woman, a content creator, and this allegedly led to his suicide.
On Sunday, a 41-year-old man allegedly died by suicide after a woman on social media accused him of sexually harassing her on a bus. The deceased has been identified as a native of Govindapuram in Kozhikode.
The incident came to light after a woman shared a video on social media alleging that the man had deliberately touched her with sexual intent while travelling on a crowded bus. The video, reportedly recorded during a journey from Payyannur railway station to the bus stand, went viral, garnering over 20 lakh views and triggering widespread online reactions.
According to his relatives and friends, the deceased was under severe mental stress after the video went viral and was deeply disturbed by the allegations. His family has alleged that he was subjected to character assassination through social media and claimed that the video was created for online publicity. They have maintained that he was a person who generally stayed away from controversies.
Currently, the Kozhikode Medical College police have registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation. Further legal steps will be taken after examining all aspects, including the circumstances leading to the death and the viral social media content.