Sexual harassment: Woman urges Kerala HC to hand over case to Crime Branch

Kochi | A woman who accused the owner of a Kochi-based software company of sexual harassment has filed a petition in the Kerala High Court seeking an investigation by the Crime Branch.

In her petition, the woman alleged that the ongoing investigation by the Kochi City Police was "biased" and intended to shield the accused, Venu Gopalakrishnan (50), who runs the software firm.

Gopalakrishnan had earlier hit the headlines for paying Rs 45.99 lakh for the registration number of his Lamborghini Urus.

"It is submitted that from the very inception, the investigation has been conducted in a perfunctory, biased and hostile manner, betraying a clear intent to protect Gopalakrishnan," the writ petition said.

The case dates back to July, when the victim and her husband were arrested by police on charges of attempting to honey-trap Gopalakrishnan.

The victim worked at Gopalakrishnan's IT firm in Kochi.

After securing bail, she moved the court alleging false implications.

Following this, a fresh case was registered last month against Gopalakrishnan and three of his employees — Jacob Thampy, Eby Paul and Bimalraj Haridas — on charges of sexual harassment, outraging the modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation.

On September 11, the High Court dismissed Gopalakrishnan's anticipatory bail plea. The court also flagged lapses in the police probe, including omissions in the FIR, delays in recording the victim's statement, and the detention of her electronic devices for over a week without a seizure mahazar.

The petitioner requested that the two cases registered at Ernakulam Central and Infopark police stations be transferred to the Crime Branch for a fair, consolidated, and time-bound investigation.

The High Court will consider the petition on October 4.