Actress Kasthuri Shankar joined a wave of outrage directed at singer Chinmayi, who recently tweeted a controversial statement following the suicide of a man in Kerala. The man took his own life after being falsely accused of harassment during a bus journey.
On Tuesday, Chinmayi referenced a tweet about a man arrested in Dehradun for allegedly flashing at a woman. In her tweet, she stated, “Now if this man ends himself, it is the fault of the woman that she was walking.”
Although Chinmayi didn’t directly mention the Kerala bus incident or the victim, Deepak, responses to her tweet indicated that she was drawing parallels between the two cases.
Chinmayi’s indirect defense of the woman who posted a video that led to Deepak’s death was criticized by many, including actress Kasthuri. She expressed her discontent, saying, “This heartless post made me sad and angry. What is this absurd comparison? You don’t spare a guy even after he is dead? It is very worrying if one’s universe has no men, only demons… and no women, only victims.”
Several users reacted to Chinmayi’s post, urging her to investigate the Kerala case further before commenting. One user remarked, “This girl @Chinmayi is utter nonsense. Dude, study the recent issue in Kerala then speak up. Don’t get that stupid toxic feminist angle in this issue!! Plz and thank you for your shitty tweet. (sic)”
Another response pointed out, “This is gaslighting 101. You cannot equate a criminal to a person who was trapped and maligned as one. Society trusts women more than men, but one can’t deny that we are living in times where some women exploit societal trust and empathy for personal gain. Whatever the case may be, don’t conclude too soon. Because if we encourage such blind discernment, things can get closer to home, and we won’t be able to save innocent men in our families.”
For context, Deepak, a resident of Govindapuram in Kozhikode, Kerala, died by suicide after a young woman, identified as Shimjitha Musthafa from Vadakara, accused him of sexual harassment through a viral video. The video quickly spread, leading to severe public shaming.
Deepak’s family and friends claimed he was mentally devastated after the video went viral. P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, former Goa Governor and senior advocate, who visited Deepak’s family, pointed out significant procedural flaws in the case management. He questioned why police initially classified the incident merely as an “unnatural death,” despite the clear connection between the viral video and the suicide.
“Even a child can understand this is a case of abetment to suicide, a crime punishable with up to 10 years’ imprisonment,” he asserted, suggesting that key facts were overlooked during the inquest.
Subsequently, police have registered a new FIR based on a complaint from Deepak’s mother, invoking charges of abetment to suicide.