Case filed over sexual assault on actresses at Kozhikode mall

Kozhikode: The police have registered a case over the incident in which two young actress were sexually assaulted at a mall in Kozhikode while returning after a film promotion event.

Those associated with the film sent an email to the police around 3am on Wednesday about the incident that happened after 9.30pm on Tuesday. A team led by the woman police went to Ernakulam and Kannur, and recorded the statements of the actresses on Thursday morning.

As part of the promotions for the upcoming Malayalam movie 'Saturday Night', some of the cast of the film had reached the HiLITE mall at Thondayad by 7pm on Tuesday. The actress put up a post on a social media platform about the harrowing experience she had while returning from the crowded event.

The police have collected the CCTV images from the mall and are hopeful that they can identify the culprits from the footage.

As per the request of the mall authorities, the police striking force were deployed outside the mall and the incident happened as the crowd dispersed after the event concluded, Pantheerankavu inspector K Ganesh said.

Meanwhile, Women's Commission chairperson P Sathidevi has said that she has directed the police to quickly find the culprits in the incident. “Stringent charges should be slapped against the culprits. Kerala should be alert to the recurring incidents of assault against women in crowded areas. Organisers should also take the necessary steps to give protection to those participating in such events,” she added.