The Kerala Women’s Commission expressed dismay and concern over 11 years of confinement that a woman underwent in a tiny room with her lover at Ayiloor, near Nenmara, in the district.
“Confinement or captivity cannot be accepted even if she was well fed and taken care of,” said commission Chairperson M.C. Josephine after meeting the couple at their current residence at Vithanassery, near Nenmara.
Ms. Josephine and commission members Shahida Kamal and Shiji Sivaji visited the couple on Tuesday. They interacted with the couple for about an hour.
Rahman, son of Mohammed Khani, had reportedly kept his lover Sajita hidden in his tiny room for 11 years without letting anyone know about it. Sajita’s family, living a few blocks away, had resigned to her disappearance.
Although Rahman and Sajita said they lived in “self-imposed captivity” for fear of his family and the people, Ms. Josephine and colleagues could not digest their story. Their incredulity was buttressed when Rahman’s parents told them that it was highly unlikely for Rahman and Sajita to have lived for 11 years in a tiny room the size of a bathroom.
“It is unbelievable,” they said. However, they said they would not recommend any action against Rahman as there was no complaint. The commission members said they would not jump into a judgment until they examined the police report.
Problem of police probe
Apart from the local police, the Crime Branch too was asked to submit a report about Sajita’s life in Rahman’s room. “Such a freak and weird thing should not have happened in Kerala. Let them live a happy life together and we will monitor them,” said the commission members. However, the commission said that it was the fault in the police investigation in 2010 that led to the current developments. If the police had investigated the disappearance of Sajita properly, this would not have happened, they said.
“It is fault on the part of the police,” said Ms. Josephine, adding that the commission would seek an explanation from the police officer who investigated the case in 2010.
