Transgender woman tied up and raped; 'Aaraattu Annan' among 5 booked

Kochi: Police booked five people, including short filmmaker Vineeth and social media figures Santhosh Varkey aka 'Aaraattu Annan' and Alin Jose Perera, over a case of tying up and raping a transgender woman promising her an opportunity in a movie.

The incident happened on April 12. The complainant approached Cheranalloor police on August 13. There are reports that the police were not initially ready to file a case. As per the complaint, the transgender woman, who works as a makeup artist in the film industry, was called to a flat near Chittoor Ferry. Vineeth, on the pretext of explaining a scene in the movie, tied her up and proceeded to rape her. The complaint also stated that Vineeth forced her to allow his friends Alin, Santhosh, Bright and Abhilash to rape her.

Santhosh Varkey and Alin Jose Perera are constant presences on social media with their movie reviews. Santhosh is fodder for social media trolls with his frequent requests to marry actors, including Nithya Menon. When Vineeth released a short film titled 'Bloody Night,' Aaraattu Annan and Alin were at the forefront of its promotions. The film also starred Santhosh, Alin, and Bright.