KOCHI: Shortly after allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against a tattoo artist in Kochi, many came forward with revelations of similar incidents. A woman alleged that while tattooing, the tattoo artist Sujeesh touched on her private parts and sexually abused her forcibly.
Soon after the woman shared her experience on the social media platform Reddit, many women came forward with similar allegations. Her complaint said, ‘She wanted to tattoo ‘vagina with wings’. She said he asked her the meaning of tattoo and asked her age and then started making sexually-loaded advances.
He asked questions like whether she chose this tattoo because she liked sex and also asked whether she was a virgin. He asked her whether she was in her periods. He then forcibly removed her pants and sexually abused her. Her complaint said that when blood came, he wiped it using a tissue paper and later continued his act.
A 20-year-old girl also shared her experience on social media that happened two years ago. She revealed her experience of getting a tattoo for the first time. 'I came to get a tattoo on the side of her ribs. He asked me to remove by bra, but gave me no clothes to cover my body.
I thought that this was the way it is done as I was getting it for the first time. However, after some time I felt uncomfortable. He touched my breasts. When reading the experience of more people, it is clear that he has behaved in the same manner to many, she said.
Meantime, Sujeesh’s studio is the favourite place of celebrities. Nimisha Sajayan, Mareena Michael, Amritha Suresh, Vidya Vinu Mohan, Sachin Warrier, Bijipal and many others got their tattoos from here. He himself had shared their photos on his social media pages.