Parvathi at Thrissur General Hospital. Kottayam: A woman from Thrissur has alleged that the cops are dragging their feet in acting against an influential businessman, a Padmashree awardee, who had allegedly barged into her home at night and broke her arm. A civic forum, comprising politicians and activists, took out a march Thursday protesting against the lack of action against Sunder Menon even four days after the incident.
Parvathi, a second year MBA student and daughter of Venugopal, a marine engineer in Thrissur, is yet to recover from the shock of the surprise assault Sunday night, and worries that the delay in the arrest of Menon may lead to more assaults on her and her family members. She alleged that Menon had raised death threats against the family.
The police on Monday registered a case against Menon based on a complaint filed by Parvathi but he is yet to be arrested despite the seriousness of the crime. "I don't know why he is not arrested yet. May be because he is highly influential," Parvathi told Onmanorama over phone from Thrissur.
When Onmanorama contacted, the Thrissur East police refused to give any details, saying they did not know anything about the case. Onmanorama could not contact the sub-inspector despite repeated attempts.
The incident happened around 11.20 pm on Sunday when Parvathi's father had gone out to get some medicine and mother had gone to a neighboring flat in the apartment complex to fetch purified water. Apparently, Menon had some kind of a falling-out with Parvathi's father Venugopal over some issue, which is unclear. "Earlier in the day, he had threatened my father that he would eliminate our family," Parvathi said.
"I was waiting for my mother in our drawing room. As the calling bell rang, I thought it was my father. When I opened the door, I found Sunder Menon standing there in an inebriated state. I told him that my father was not at home and asked him to return in the morning," Parvathi said.
She said she refused to open the door fully since she knew that there was some issue between the man and his father.
But, Parvathi said, Menon forced his way in and started to threaten and abuse her. “When he saw I was holding a phone, he tried to snatch it and twisted my arms. When I tried to resist the move, he pushed me. Shocked and crying, I entered another room and locked it from inside. Then I called the uncle in whose house my mother had gone to fetch water. I came out of the room only when I heard the voice of my mother and uncle," Parvathi recalled the events.
Activists staged a protest seeking the arrest of Sunder Menon in Thrissur on Thursday.She said Menon threatened her mother and the neighbor who questioned him for entering the house when she was alone there. "He left our house then saying he would meet Venu (her father) and that it was not going to end. I'm fearing for my life and want the police to arrest him immediately," she said.
Parvathi, who suffered injuries to her right hand, was admitted to the Thrissur general hospital. She contacted the control room the same night and a case was filed against Menon the next day by Thrissur East police. "The police recorded my statements on Monday but there is no clue about the progress of the probe," she said.
"Who can promise us that he wouldn't kill us?" Parvathi asks in a trembling voice.
