Malayalam actor claims Vijay Babu sexually, physically abused her for months: ‘He was like a monster to me’
Malayalam actor who has filed a police complaint against actor-producer Vijay Babu for alleged rape, sexual and physical abuse has shared her statement on a Facebook page, Women Against Sexual Harassment. The statement came out a day after Babu dismissed all allegations against him and named the complainant on a Facebook Live, a contravention of the law. He called himself ‘the real victim’ in the case.
The police said the actor alleged in a complaint with the Kochi police on April 22 that Babu had sexually abused her several times promising roles in his films. She alleged that Babu had raped her at his flat in Kochi. In her statement, she said that she was physically and sexually assaulted between March and April this year. She said that he gained her trust by advising her about her career as she was a newcomer, but used it to exploit her.
Malayalam actor was sexually and physically abused by Vijay Babu
“I have known him for a few years in the industry and had worked together with him for a movie. Through this time, he gained my trust by being friendly and advising me as I was a newcomer in the film industry with no proper guidance. He behaved like my saviour for my personal and professional problems but under the guise has sexually exploited me,” she wrote.
She also said that she was afraid to speak against him due to his clout in the industry. “Each time I tried to run away from this trauma, he would come after me with false promises of marriage. There are also several witnesses to the trauma he has put me through. Every time we met, he used to offer me characters in his upcoming films. But that wasn’t my intention.
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I was under his control and was scared to speak up because of the clout, influence and power he wielded in the film industry,” the statement read. The woman also said that there are other victims who have been subjected to such abuse by Vijay. The allegations come at a time when the Malayalam film industry is dealing with many such cases. Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) has been demanding the setting up of an internal complaints committee (ICC) every time a producer engages more than 10 workers.
She also said that she was done with fear, calling Vijay a ‘monster’. “I am not keeping my mouth shut anymore. I can’t take this pain anymore. I strongly believe I will get justice for the sexual and physical assaults I have gone through by Vijay Babu. No one should go through this pain and trauma anymore in their life. I ask all the women who had this experience from him and are silenced to speak up,” she said.
She added that she will take legal action against those who indulge in victim shaming or personally attacking her on social media. Source Link
