Pantheerankavu domestic violence case: Woman’s father refutes her allegations against family and lawyer, says made under duress

In a volte-face, the complainant, in a couple of video posts on June 10, had claimed that she had levelled the allegations against her husband Rahul P. Gopal and his family under duress from her own family and the lawyer engaged by them.  | Photo Credit: S. RAMESH KURUP

The father of the complainant in the alleged Pantheerankavu domestic violence case in Kerala has said that his daughter was being pressured into retracting her allegations she had levelled against her husband and his family.

Addressing the media at his house at North Paravur on June 11, the father almost broke down and expressed anguish about the prospect of “losing” his daughter. “It hurts so much to hear her allegations against us,” he said.

In a volte-face, the complainant, in a couple of video posts on June 10, had claimed that she had levelled the allegations against her husband Rahul P. Gopal and his family under duress from her own family and the lawyer engaged by them.

The father had lodged a petition with the Vadakkekara police stating that his daughter was missing since she left home for rejoining duty in Thiruvananthapuram on June 3. The police have registered a case and have launched a search.

He said his daughter’s dramatic video messages seemed to have been made under duress in the custody of the accused to undermine his complaint. “This is not something she is alleging on her own. We have been taking good care of her,” the father said.

“She was in contact with us over phone till Saturday. It was mostly casual conversations. But her mobile phone has been switched off since Sunday. That is when we contacted the manager at her office who told us that she has extended the leave till June 21,” he said.

Asked whether there had been any conversation about the issue till she left for office last week, the father responded in the negative, dispelling his daughter’s allegations to the contrary. “She has been under severe psychological stress probably over the state of her marriage and had sought the office authorities for leave citing that,” he said.

He said the family has not taken any decision about withdrawing the case of domestic violence registered with the Pantheerankavu police.

The victim in her message said she would approach the Kerala High Court for getting the case quashed.

Meanwhile, it has also emerged that the victim has signed an affidavit to that effect last month itself.

The father also shot down the allegations levelled by the victim against the family’s lawyer. “She said the allegations, including that of the demand for dowry, were made at the instance of the lawyer. The lawyer is innocent,” the father said.

He said the original petition with the Pantheerankavu police was lodged based on what the family had seen when they had gone to visit her and what she had told the family. “Marks of physical torture on her body, including the mark on her neck, bump on her head and bleeding from her nose, were not inflicted by us. If she is now claiming that nothing of that sort happened, then it is clearly under duress. It is being used as a ruse by Rahul to save his skin,” said the father.