Thrissur: Olympian Mayookha Johny made a shocking disclosure on Monday, claiming her friend was raped in July 2016.
She also blamed police apathy and ministerial-level intervention for the delay in bringing the violator before law.
Addressing a news conference here in the presence of the woman who the athlete identified as the rape survivor, Mayookha said a man, Chungath Johnson, who had committed the crime, has been threatening her friend.
The young woman was allegedly raped before her marriage, and she kept mum fearing social stigma.
The survivor was threatened after her marriage, saying a video clip of the alleged crime would be circulated. She decided to lodge a complaint after goons threatened her at her residence, Mayookha said.
"The survivor 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 reporters.
The alleged rapist further threatened the woman after learning that she had narrated her trauma to Mayookha.
"I was also threatened at a mall in Kochi," Mayookha said.
Mayookha alleged intervention from a state minister on behalf of the culprit has been delaying the arrest.
Women’s Commission former chairperson M C Josephine, too, had not supported the young woman in getting justice, she claimed.
A petition, seeking the arrest of the alleged criminal, has been under the consideration of the High Court of Kerala.
The Thrissur Rural Police have not yet found any evidence regarding the incident that had happened five years ago. Efforts were still on to find evidence supporting the allegation, police said.
Josephine had to quit the Woman’s Commission on Friday, after her comment on an alleged incident of domestic violence had sparked a controversy.
