Key Highlights
- Police have registered a case against Shimjitha on charges of abetment to suicide. advertisementOn Tuesday, the police also registered a case against Shimjitha and issued a non-bailable warrant against her.
- The incident came to light when Shimjitha recorded and uploaded a video on social media alleging that Deepak had sexually harassed her during a crowded bus journey from Payyannur railway station to a nearby bus stand. In the video, she claimed that he had touched her inappropriately several times during the ride.
- The clip quickly spread across platforms, amassing more than two million views and drawing heavy online commentary. Within days of the video going viral, Deepak was found hanging in his room at his residence in Govindhapuram, Kozhikode. According to police, his parents attempted to wake him on a Sunday morning but received no response.
- Neighbours and family members later broke open the door and found him dead. Initially, the Kozhikode Medical College police registered a case of unnatural death.
- However, following complaints from the victim’s family and a review of the social media fallout, the investigation was escalated to examine the role of the viral video and the alleged online harassment in the events leading up to the suicide. Deepak’s parents told news agency ANI that the accusations had destroyed their son’s reputation."They further accused the woman of assassinating the victim’s character for the sake of online publicity," the family said. They added that Deepak "stayed away from controversies throughout his life" and had denied the allegations of sexual harassment. Relatives alleged that soon after the video surfaced, Deepak became the target of massive online abuse, which caused severe mental stress."According to his relatives, Deepak ended his life after the video went viral on social media," the family said. Following these allegations, police issued a lookout circular and took Shimjitha into custody for questioning. Investigators are also examining why the allegations were made public through social media instead of being formally lodged with the police. Meanwhile, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the case. It has ordered a detailed police probe and directed the North Zone Deputy Inspector General of Police to submit a report within a week.
