South Indian actress kidnap: Aju Varghese, Salim Kumar heavily criticised by WCC, Bhagyalakshmi, others

Actors Aju Varghese and Salim Kumar have landed in trouble for extending their support to actor Dileep after the latter was again linked up with the abduction case of popular South Indian actress, who was kidnapped by Pulsar Suni and his gang on February 18.

Also read: Actress reacts for the first time; warns legal action against those levelling baseless allegations

Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), the first association formed for women in the entertainment industry in the country, has come forward against the actors for their recent social media posts that "reveals the name" and "insults the victim" on Tuesday, June 27. 

Must read: Kerala actress kidnap case: The story so far 

Aju has been heavily criticised for revealing the name of the abducted actress on his Facebook post. Though the comedian has changed her name and apologised for his mistake, it is understood that a case has been registered against him as people are not allowed to name the victim of physical assault as per the 2013 Verma Committee Report approved by the Indian Parliament. Meanwhile, in his social media post, Salim had suggested conducting a lie detection test for the actress, to know the hidden truth behind the case.

This statement by the actor has also irked many, who are of the opinion that he has clearly insulted the victim, who could recover from the shock of the mishap with the support of her friends. WCC has also requested other celebrities to refrain from making similar comments in future.

Meanwhile, even before WCC reacted against the Facebook posts of the actors, dubbing artiste Bhagyalakshmi, who is not a part of the women's association, had questioned its members if it is women collective or women selective. In her Facebook post, Bhagyalakshmi had heavily criticised Salim Kumar for his "inhumane" response against the South Indian actress, while supporting his close friend Dileep.

"The struggles she faced that day inside a car with those four men is something unforgettable in life. Only a girl's father will understand the pains she faced then. How could you say such callous statements? Were you not thinking about girl children? Or do you think that the pains she suffered were not enough? Do you want to enjoy the moments she went through by making her recollect that dreadful day? Your comments were so cruel. Good that you deleted the post though it was too late. Why are the members of the women's association not reacting against this? Or are you planning to react only for something that you think important? Is this women collective or women selective? [translated from Malayalam]," reads the social media post of Bhagyalakshmi.

Meanwhile, ever since the actress was kidnapped, Dileep's name has been surfacing in connection with the incident, and earlier he had lashed out at the media for spreading fake news against him. Now, he has been targeted again; this time after a letter, apparently written by the prime accused Suni addressing the actor seeking Rs 1.5 crore, so that his name will not be dragged in the case.