The Kerala High Court on Thursday ordered police protection for a doctor who had examined an 18-year-old woman, allegedly sexually abused by self styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal, after the medical professional claimed that the police officers privy to the case were harassing her. Justice Devan Ramachandran said the case "certainly contains very dangerous allegations against two senior officers incharge of the particular case".
The court asked a competent official of the police force to file an affidavit answering the allegations against the officers named in the doctor's plea, filed through advocate P T Mohan Kumar, and listed it for hearing on December 17. The court initially asked the State Police Chief (SPC) to file the affidavit answering the allegations.
However, the Additional Advocate General appearing for the police objected to the SPC being asked to file an affidavit. Terming the objection raised as "slightly perturbing", the court said it had asked the SPC to file an affidavit as any defence raised on behalf of the two officers has to be verified by a superior authority and the SPC was the only superior authority in the party array.
The court, thereafter, said any competent authority or officer can file the affidavit if they are aware about the facts of the case. The doctor, in her plea, has claimed that a false case was being foisted against her alleging that she harassed the victim while examining her as part of the formalities with regard to the POCSO case registered against Mavunkal.
In her petition, the doctor has alleged that on October 27 when she was examining the victim, the lady police personnel accompanying her barged into the examination room and forcibly took away the woman. This was an attempt to prevent the victim from disclosing the names of any more people who may have had sexually exploited her, the doctor has alleged. She has alleged in her plea that the lady officers barged into the examination room after she refused to take the call of a senior officer while she was examining the victim and said that she will call him back.
The victim had consented to being examined and was giving details of her ordeal when the entire incident occurred, the doctor has contended. A case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against Monson based on a complaint by his former maid who has accused him of sexually exploiting her minor daughter by promising to take care of her education.
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