Moral policing victim ends life

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:A 22-yearold man, who was allegedly subjected to moral policing by a group of men, was found hanging near his house in Attappady in Kerala’s Palakkad district on Thursday night, police said on Friday.

Aneesh and his girlfriend were harassed by the men on Azheekkal beach in Kollam district on Valentine’s Day.

ANI reported that Aneesh’s girlfriend moved to a secluded area of the beach to relieve herself as there were no toilets, and the group of men had allegedly tried to molest her. After she shouted out, Aneesh rushed to the spot only to be accused of indecency.

The men even clicked their photographs and posted them on social media for public shaming.

Aneesh, who worked as a volunteer in an e-literacy programme in Kollam, has allegedly left a suicide note saying he was upset after the incident. His friends and relatives also claimed that he was stressed.

Police had arrested five people in connection with the case. They said all the accused will now be charged with abetting of suicide and Aneesh’s body would be sent for autopsy.

On Tuesday, a young couple from the state posted a Facebook video that went viral, when two women police personnel allegedly took them to task over their “indecent” behaviour in public.

The youngsters, who are not married, were in the Museum Park in Thiruvananthapuram when they were accosted by the female cops for sitting “indecently”.

They were taken to the nearby police station and questioned by senior officers, and charged with creating nuisance in public and set free on bail after furnishing relevant documents.

Soon after their release, they made another post.

DGP Loknath Behra has initiated a probe into the incident. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the police to take strict action against offenders in the wake of growing unrest in the state against such moral policing incidents.