Widespread cyberattacks against complainant; police initiate strict action

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police have initiated strict action against the cyberattacks targeting the woman who filed a sexual assault complaint against Rahul Mamkootathil MLA. The woman had lodged a complaint yesterday, stating that she was facing widespread online harassment. Police initiated action soon after.

ADGP Venkitesh has directed all district police chiefs to conduct separate investigations in their respective districts and to register individual cases. The woman filed the cyber complaint shortly after giving her statement in the sexual assault case. A case has been registered at the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police Station, and the complaint includes Facebook URL IDs that carried abusive and defamatory content targeting her.

Meanwhile, CPM leader Dr P. Sarin has alleged that photos of the complainant are being widely circulated in Congress WhatsApp groups. Sarin shared a screenshot of such a post on Facebook. According to him, the images appeared in a WhatsApp group of the Congress Instant Response Team, which handles the party's social media activities. He claimed that sharing the survivor’s photo—revealing her identity—in a group that includes senior Congress leaders amounts to a planned attempt to defame her. Sarin added that a complaint has been filed and legal action will follow.