A 42-year-old man from Kozhikode, Kerala, was found dead in a suspected suicide on Sunday, two days after a social media video accused him of sexual misconduct on a bus. His family attributes the death to the viral clip, while an activist demands action against the woman who posted it. No police complaint had been filed prior to the incident.
On Sunday, a 42-year-old resident of Kozhikode in Kerala was discovered dead at his home in Govindapuram, in what police suspect was a suicide. The man's parents found him unresponsive in his bedroom around 7am after knocking received no reply.
The death came two days after a video surfaced on social media on Friday, accusing the man of inappropriate behavior during a bus journey in Payyannur, Kannur district. The clip, which has garnered over 2 million views, shows the man standing close to women on the crowded bus. The woman who recorded it explained to reporters: “While travelling by bus in Payyannur, I realised that a woman standing in front of the youth was very uncomfortable. He was standing very close. He had seen me recording a selfie video. He stood very cool for a while. Later, when the rush in the bus eased, he again tried to stand close to me, and I recorded the incident again. I had edited both videos and posted them as a single one.” She added that she posted it to expose “people like him.”
No police complaint was filed regarding the alleged misconduct at the time. The deceased's family and a relative blamed the video for his distress, with the relative stating: “It is evident from the video that she is creating it with an aim of getting a wide social media reach. When I heard about the video, I told him not to panic. I told him that we can meet a lawyer and move legally. The next day, I heard that he had taken his own life.” The relative questioned why the woman did not raise the issue on the bus or inform police if the incident occurred.
Activist Rahul Easwar has petitioned the state police chief, the Chief Minister's office, and the Director General of Police, demanding a case of abetment to suicide against the woman. “This is a fake complaint and a fake video. Since the man has died by suicide, I have lodged a complaint demanding that the woman be charged with abetment to suicide,” Easwar said in a Facebook post. He also called for compensation to the man's family.
