Pantheerankaavu case; Father claims daughter influenced by accused, questioning today to reveal truth

KOZHIKODE: Panthirankaav domestic violence case has taken new turns as Civil Police Officer KT Sarath Lal, accused of helping Rahul, the primary suspect, will be questioned today. Sarath Lal had fled after the incident and sought anticipatory bail, but the court ordered him to present himself at the police station. He is scheduled to appear before the police for questioning today.

The complainant woman submitted an affidavit in the high court stating she had no complaints against the accused. She claimed that all allegations in her initial complaint were made under family pressure and were false. However, her father insists that Rahul might have influenced his daughter.

"On June 3rd, my daughter left home, saying she was going to an IT company in Thiruvananthapuram. I spoke with her regularly until June 8th. When I couldn't reach her on Sunday and Monday, I contacted her company's manager and found out she had applied for leave from June 3rd to the 21st. We then filed a missing complaint. I never expected my daughter to respond like this in the case," the young woman's father told the media. He added that he learned about the harassment during a visit to Rahul's house and filed the complaint based on this.

Despite the woman's recent statements in favour of the accused, the investigation team remains skeptical. After recording Sarath Lal's statement, the police aim to file charges against two to five suspects. With Rahul still at large, his mother Ushakumari, sister Karthika, driver Rajesh and the policeman previously arrested are currently under investigation.

Rahul faces charges including attempted murder based on the woman's earlier complaint and statements. Given the case's high profile, the complainant's confidential statement to the court holds significant weight. Should she alter her statement in court, the police plan to address it rigorously.