A protest was organized to seek the immediate arrest of the rape accused

Members of the SEWA Union will march towards the Kochi Police Commissionerate on Friday. | Photo credit: RK Nithin

Members of the Self-Employed Women’s Association Union (SEWA-Union) took out a protest march on the Kochi Police Commissionerate demanding immediate arrest of a man arrested on charges of raping a 22-year-old Dalit girl from Odisha while she was hired as a domestic helper.

It has been more than a fortnight since the Maradu police registered a first information report (FIR) against 75-year-old Sivaprasad. Since then, the District and Sessions Court, Ernakulam, has also rejected his expected bail plea.

The SEWA Union denounced the alleged procrastination of the police even after the rejection of the suspect’s bail plea on October 29. At the opening of the march, social activist Rekha Raj said migrants looking for work were also workers and called for a system to enforce their rights. Union secretary Sonia George was president of the union.

The survivor was rescued by police with the help of a staff from the Center for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID).

The FIR, based on the survivor’s initial statement, was registered on October 17 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 74 (assault or use of criminal force against women with intent to outrage their modesty). Later, a detailed medical examination was conducted. Police have since added rape charges.

According to the FIR, the alleged incident took place on October 15 around 11 am. According to the petitioner, the accused added juice to her and then outraged her modesty by taking advantage of her drunken state.

The incident came to light after the survivor shared her ordeal over the phone with a relative, who also worked as a domestic help at another house in Ernakulam. The family member in turn shared it with her employer, who alerted the CMID.