Vinitha Venu a journalist, wife of civil police officer Mr. Sumosh said that CPI-M workers were tormenting her family for a long time. Vinitha explains this on Facebook. Journo points out that Deshabhimani (the Mouthpiece of CPI-M) newspaper is spreading slanderous propaganda against her husband, a police officer, and that Deshabhimani has published a news story in abusive language. Her story was published in several Malayalam news portals in Kerala.
Translation of Vinita’s Facebook post,
Friends, this is a very personal, long note. There have been a lot of phone calls and messages over the last three days. I think we can explain things in one answer for everyone. Last night my husband was returning from duty in Vadakara, Chompala to his house in Iritti, Kannur. A friend of ours, who works in the military, is now in the North East. His parents live alone in a house in Payam Chingamkundam. This friend called my husband and asked him to inquire about his parents’ well-being.
It is natural for him to be worried about his parents those who live alone as he works outside Kerala. Wednesday was his Father’s birthday and we’re invited for lunch. In the afternoon some of our other friends and classmates went there too. My husband agreed that he would visit them in the evening after duty because his friend insisted again. He called me as he was leaving the station as usual and we talked about it.
While riding his bike, he reached Payam and stopped the bike on the side of the road as the phone rang. Another friend and a neighbor who’s a policeman were on the phone. He was uneasy as he was riding the bike for a long distance after duty. So he parked the bike and walked a few meters down to stretch his legs, talking on the phone (it was a descent. He could not stop the bike anywhere else.) Anyone looking from the road could see the vehicle, which meant it was not hidden. Other vehicles and people were on the road at this time. Vattiyara –a place about two kilometers before reaching his friend’s house.
Meanwhile, four people showed up and they started questioning in an ill manner. Asking why are you here, where are young going. They were well drunk. Despite replying that he was going to a friend’s house and that the vehicle was stopped when the phone rang, they continued to question like Moral Police.
He tried to leave the scene with the bike but was not allowed to go. When they said he was a policeman, they called more people. A group of more than fifteen people began to speak rudely. Attempted to phone his friend and explain why he was there but was not allowed to. They forcibly took him to a nearby house, claiming that it was starting to rain. He was locked inside the house compound, surrounded by the group interrogated and threatened. Some even videotaped it.
When the conversation moved to a threatening tone, He tried to call Iritty police station and the phone was engaged. A policeman who lived nearby heard the commotion and arrived at the scene and recognized his fellow policeman. The assailants, when they realised he’s policemen, began speaking insultingly in order to escape kept on filming the video. One of the assembled locals called the police station and answered the phone.
The mobile patrol unit from Iritty police station then headed to the spot. Some of the attackers told the Sub Inspector wrong things by covering up the actual incidents that took place at that time. They said he was drunk. The mob then dispersed and rescued him in a department vehicle. A medical examination at Iritty Taluk Hospital revealed that he was not intoxicated. My husband is a man who has never been drunk or used any intoxicants in his life.
The incident was reported to the police station. No written complaint was lodged as there was no bodily harm and the condition was suffering from severe mental stress. The station said the statement was sufficient as there were no other issues. The Special Branch officer then called. He was also informed of the actual incident. After returning home we talked about it in detail. I tried to calm him down who was very desperate.
What happened was exactly the moral policing led by a group of drunkards. But the game changed from the next day. They started a campaign in the CPI-M’s cyber groups, WhatsApp groups and Facebook with videos taken by the drunkards slandering my husband. Pro-Left Police Association officials called several media persons in Kannur and said that my husband was caught red-hand for illicit relationship. They took the helm of such a vicious propaganda in the name of enmity and politics.
The next morning, a news item appeared in the Deshabhimani newspaper in abusive language. The news was in a way that revealed the identity, giving accurate information about our home location and workplace.
According to the news, an investigation is underway against the policeman who was arrested by the locals at an “inappropriate” time. A question to the esteemed journalist. What do you mean, sir? The news says that it is after ten o’clock at night and it is midnight. Is that the time you intended? Does that mean one should not travel by road at that time? Does that mean you shouldn’t stop the bike and make a phone call?
It was later reported that he was hiding in the car-porch. In which car-porch of which house was he hiding? He was forcibly stopped by a group of more than 15 people and dragged into the car-porch of an unoccupied house. The same can be heard in the video which is circulating in CPI-M cyber groups.
Anything can be written off as part of political hatred. But calling it media ethics is obscene. According to the Deshabhimani news, he has been shifted to Palakkad for leaking police secrets to a private Television channel. Sir, where did you get that information? The fact is that no such discovery has yet been made by police.
Nothing else is expected from Deshabhimani. Earlier, while I was working for the Reporter channel in Kannur, the party newspaper, the CPI-M and members of the pro-left police association were harassed me for reporting the news of the Shuhaib murder case. The Deshabhimani news editor who wrote the news later called and apologized, saying it was not an anti-personal but an ideological issue. I do not understand why he said that.
I just want to remind the newspaper’s Iritty city reporter of one thing. There is a movie directed by your son. It is a film that speaks out against moral policing. Your news report cancels all the ethics of that cinema. Our friend called the military officer from the station and recorded his statement. He made it clear that he had come to his house, but what was the point of making up another story?
To those who singing the tune of nonsense, how do you say caught? You can see in the video that CPI-M cyber goons are spreading. (It is clear from the video that Ratheesh, Rahul and Vishnu were part of the attackers) My husband is not standing inside any house. He was dressed modestly, put on a mask, and respond politely to the attackers that they are mistaken. For those who says that he went to see his friend’s wife, she’s staying with with her husband at his place of work. Do you need a certificate of character to travel and visit a friend’s house? Does making phone call from the road mean he’s a thief?
For the past three years, to be precise, my husband and I have been suffering from severe mental anguish since the Shuhaib murder case. In addition to the Deshabhimani news, there were widespread threats from pro-left police officer’s groups. The pro-left police officers themselves have threatened us, said they’ll attack us inside the police quarters, including death threats. The threat of spreading my husband’s uniform photo in cyber groups is another. An attempt was made to assault journalists in front of Mattannur court. As I was traveling by bus, a group of people followed. The situation is so frightening that I can’t leave my little ones in school and day care for months. The days when we realised that they won’t hesitate to do anything to harm us.
My complaint about the threat was investigated by the Crime Branch. One can never forget the interrogation of the investigating officer without even considering that I was a woman. I was in such a state of mental breakdown that I could not bear the harassment and burst into tears. His report at the end of the investigation said everything they said was a joke. The joke of threatening to beat and kill is not yet I understand. I realised; Complaints and Inquiries are farce and pointless.
The harassment against my husband continued even after that. He was transferred seven times in three years. During the lockdown, I had to work on deputation in Kannur for a month for Asianet News. During that time I reported news about the patient’s information had been leaked from the police’s COVID-19 app. I reported it third or fourth after other channels. The truth is that it took so long to confirm the news.
COVID-19 patient’s details including phone numbers were leaked from a Google Maps link provided to officers ranked above CI. The leak was caused by it being prepared without proper security. I called the officer of the cyber cell who prepared the data, I found his contact details from the mail provided with the link. The official said the leak was true and that the link was locked (I have the phone call recording). The district collector also reported to the government that such a link had been spread via WhatsApp groups and that there was a leak. The news was so authentic.
But Akash Thillankeri, the accused in the Shuhaib murder case, posted on Facebook that the news was leaked by my husband. It should be remembered that the post was in a threatening tone, calling for a cyber-attack using photos of me and my husband. Remember, that link was only available to top officials. He also lodged a complaint against the threatening post. But not only was there no investigation about it but also he was unreasonably transferred from Kannur district to Palakkad at a time when the lockdown was still in place. There was no investigation against the policeman who made the link without security because he was a member of the Pro-Leftist police association. Strange as it may seem, that is the reality.
He lodged a complaint with the DGP against the unusual move of transferring to another district. During the investigation conducted by the police headquarters, the real situation was ascertained and he was transferred to Kozhikode.
Day and night COVID-19 duty without even a holiday. Constant transfer to other stations. The whole family was devastated, including the elderly parents. The babies were also under stress. In this situation, I left my job. Many asked why? All I can say is that it is a condition that can only be understood if experienced. After the election results came out, they started threatening again widely via WhatsApp groups. My husband was threatened that he would not set foot in Kannur because he worked for a Pro-UDF association. The next transfer was expected at any moment. But even more, horrific torture is being done now.
They’re committing personal attacks on him in a vicious manner. They’re planning to revise the Special Branch Report frame him in. You may ask why not file a complaint. Let me tell you about my previous experiences. The only thing that can happen here is the diktats of a certain group. The condition of the ordinary policeman is worse than that of the slaves. I have lodged a complaint anyway.
The mental trauma I have been experiencing for the past three years is beyond my imagination. We’re living in fear. We bought a piece of land in Kannur with our savings, loan, and help from friends. We have to sell it and flee from here. A situation where you have to be afraid to express an opinion on social media. If I put up a social media post it would be used for making my husband jobless. The same people who cry about freedom of expression.
We lived in the police community for five years in the police quarters at the AR camp. We lived among the hundreds of families. Never hurt anyone with a word or a look. My husband is so respectful at work and in his personal life, he’s being harassed and mentally tortured only because he was part of the pro-UDF association. That’s what hurts the most.
The post is not seeking anyone’s sympathy or support. I tried to write many times but did not write because I was scared. There may be some who find all this is a trivial issue. But I want to remind you that anyone can have this condition tomorrow. Moral police and their henchmen are lurking everywhere. Their supporters will sing the tune of humanity, but they will act exactly opposite and go down as fascists in the guise of democracy. Caution…
I have some good friends who have supported me through difficult times. I hug them to the heart. Not in a mood to have a discussion below this post. You may or may not believe the facts I have written. It’s everyone’s choice. No worries or complaints to anyone. I know many people will use this post for a very bad discussion. Insulting comments will be removed. If this hunting is not enough yet, We’ll be there at Caltex Junction (Kannur city) with our heads high. Kill us all in one slash.