Kerala police on Monday booked a woman after a 42-year-old man died by suicide over a viral video where she accused him of sexual harassment on a crowded bus.
The woman, identified as Shimjitha Musthafa, 35, from Vadakara, was slapped with suicide abetment charges, according to officials at Kozhikode Medical College police station. A case of unnatural death was registered initially. Later, Deepak's family members lodged a complaint, following which police registered a case under BNS Section 108 for abetment to suicide.
The victim, Deepak U, was found hanging at his residence in Govindhapuram, Kozhikode, on Sunday. Working at a textile firm, he was travelling to Kannur on a KSRTC bus on Friday when the video was shot.
The woman, who was on the same bus, recorded a video and alleged that he misbehaved with her. Deepak, who saw the video on social media, ended his life, according to his relatives.
On the night before his death, Deepak was planning to sue the woman YouTuber, according to his close friend, Asgar Ali. He was confident about his innocence, Ali told Onmanorama.
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission also directed an investigation into the incident and directed the North Zone Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police to submit a report within a week.
BJP leader and former Goa governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, who visited the bereaved family, alleged that the woman who recorded the video was an active worker of a political party and had been an elected representative. He claimed that there is an uptick of such incidents, which are intended for financial gain through social media posts.
