Malayalam actor Bhavana Menon says attempts were made to 'silence and humiliate' her

Five years after she was allegedly abducted and assaulted in Kerala, Malayalam actor Bhavana Menon, on Monday, took to social media to speak about the humiliation she has faced over the years.

“This has not been an easy journey. The journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor. For 5 years now, my name and my identity have been suppressed under the weight of the assault inflicted on me. Though I am not the one who has committed the crime, there have been many attempts to humiliate, silence and isolate me. But at such times I have had some who stepped forward to keep my voice alive,” she wrote on Instagram.

The attack on Bhavana reportedly took place in 2017 when she was returning to Kochi after a shooting as- signment on the outskirts of the city. Her vehicle was allegedly waylaid, and she was abducted by a criminal gang in a closed van.

On Sunday, the Crime Branch wing of Kerala Police registered a case against actor Dileep and five others for allegedly threatening investigation officers in the sexual assault case of the actress in which he is also an accused.

Bhavana’s post came after the particular recent development in the case.

In the post, Bhavana stated that she will not give up and will continue fighting. "To see justice prevail, to get wrongdoers punished and to ensure no one else goes through such an or- deal again, I shall continue this journey. For all those who are standing with me - a heartfelt thank you for your love,” she concluded.

After seeing Bhavana’s post, many social media us- ers and members from the film industry lauded the actress for her bravery.

Sharing Bhavana’s post on his Instagram account, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran wrote, “courage.”

• India