Women panel top official tried to protect rapist: Olympian

THRISSUR: In a startling disclosure, Olympian Mayookha Johny said that influential persons in government including former chairperson of Women’s Commission intervened in a rape case involving her friend.

According to the acclaimed athlete, her friend was raped in July 2016.

“Though a complaint was registered with the police in March 2021, police apathy and ministerial-level intervention caused inordinate delay in bringing the violator before law,” Mayookha told media persons at a press conference here in the presence of the woman who the athlete identified as the rape victim.

“Chungath Johnson, who had commited the crime, is still threatening her friend,” she said.

The young woman was allegedly raped before her marriage, and she kept mum fearing social stigma.

The survivor was threatened ater her marriage, saying a video clip of the alleged crime would be circulated. She decided to lodge a complaint ater goons threatened her at her residence, Mayookha said.

“The victim approached the police with a complaint in March 2021. Though her statement was recorded in-camera, no arrest has been made,” Mayookha, the current national record holder for triple jump, told media persons.

Chalakudy Muringoor native Chungath Johnson trespassed into the girl’s house and raped her.

A complaint in this regard was lodged with SP Poonkuzhali. However, the police reacted indecently to the complaint.

The then Women’s Commission chairperson MC Josephine intervened for the culprit, Mayookha alleged.

The accused is blackmailing her with the clips. He has financial and political clout and is delaying the action against him, Mayookha further alleged.

The alleged rapist further threatened the woman ater learning that she had narrated her trauma to Mayookha.

She alleged that intervention from a state minister on behalf of the culprit has been delaying the arrest.