Complaint part of 'character assassination', claims BJP councillor Sreelekha

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 27 (PTI) BJP councillor and former Kerala DGP R Sreelekha on Friday said the complaint against her for allegedly revealing the identity of a rape victim was part of a "character assassination" attempt and that a charge under the POCSO Act would not stand.

She was responding to reporters' queries after the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court here recently directed the police to investigate her based on a complaint filed by R Jayachandran.

The complainant alleged that Sreelekha had disclosed the identities of victims in a sexual offence case in a video uploaded on her YouTube channel.

Sreelekha said she had worked extensively for the welfare of children and women. "When the Nirbhaya scheme was launched, I was its nodal officer here".

According to her, she learned that a case had been registered against her for mentioning the name of a rape victim who had died, in a video posted on her YouTube channel during 2020–21.

"I came to understand that it relates to the Kiliroor case, which was probed by a team led by me. It was first investigated by the Kerala Police and later transferred to the CBI. The accused in the case were convicted,” she said.

Sreelekha said that though the victim was described as a minor in the FIR, the investigation later revealed that she was not.

"When she died in 2003, she was close to 20 years old. Since she was young, there was a perception that she was a minor. Therefore, an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act won't attracted against me," she said.

She added that the police would realise this after conducting a proper investigation.

The complaint, she said, was filed by a lawyer associated with a human rights organisation.

"Ever since I joined politics, there have been criticism and attempts at character assassination against me. With (Assembly) elections nearing, I feel the complaint is of that nature," she said.

Sreelekha said that as a mother, a woman and a police officer, she had never done anything to adversely affect a woman or a rape victim.

She also said that the names of victims in the Kiliroor case had been reported in the media and continue to exist on online platforms.

According to her, the purpose of not revealing the names of rape victims is to ensure their privacy and security and that of their families.

"After victims die in such cases, years later, when people pay respect to them, their names coming into the public domain would not affect those associated with them," she said.

Sreelekha further stated that the complainant had no connection to the Kiliroor case and that no complaint had been filed by the victim's parents or relatives, despite the video having been released several years ago.

The BJP leader said she had also mentioned the victim of another rape case in a blog, and she also was not a minor.

She denied allegations of revealing the name of the victim in the Kaviyoor rape case, saying she had not investigated that case and had not made any video about it.

"As it was a complaint filed before the court, the police have to register a case. But during the investigation, the police will find that the POCSO Act will not stand in this incident. Let the police investigate and take a proper decision," she said. PTI TBA TBA SA