Kerala actress Bhavana Menon finally speaks about 'sexual assault case' on Women's Day

Mollywood actress Bhavana Menon talked openly about her atrocities and the crises she encountered afterwards. In a show named 'Global Town Hall', Bhavana participated in an event organised in association with 'We the Women of Asia' connected to Women's Day, on March 08. 
 

Bhavana was seen answering the questions asked by the host and senior journalist Barkha Dutt. Bhavana said that she faced backlash on social media; people used to come of news channels and blamed her for being out at night. Some used to say that she was making a false case and gaining sympathy. 
 

Bhavana said, "My whole life turned upside down. I was constantly searching for something to blame. I used to think that it was a long nightmare. I blame myself following the incident. The court proceedings started in 2020. I had to be there in the court for 15 days."
 

The actress recalled,  "many people stood by me during those days of agony. But I was alone at the court. And I felt devastated. But then I realised that I must fight. I realised that I had done nothing wrong. I realised that I should prove my innocence. When I came out of the court on the 15th day, I felt I'm a survivor and not a victim. My mind convinced me that I'm a survivor," said Bhavana.
 

Bhavana has said that she has come out in the open to speak of her experiences because she wants to fight for dignity and justice, and her battle is not only for herself but for all the girls and women who have had similar experiences. Quite often, the perpetrators are back into normality very fast. But the victims find it tough to lead an everyday life. Let us bring back the victims to have an everyday, peaceful life.

She also said that her friends gave her support and stood by her. Bhavana also said she needs to regain her dignity, but she is still scared. "5-year-long  journey was challenging for me. Some people blamed me for the incident and alleged it was a fake case. I was broken into pieces. I wanted to stand up and face my life, but such incidents pulled me down. My parents were insulted. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I'm not a person to do such things. I received messages asking to kill myself and warning me. You will pay for this." she explained.

"I'm grateful to those who stood by me. I must say, opening up about the incident through Instagram was cathartic. I want to prove my innocence. I want to retain my dignity. Let me fight, let me prove that I didn't do anything wrong," she added.

Watch the video here