Thiruvananthapuram: A social activist was arrested in Pathanamittha for seeking funds on Facebook to purchase inner wear for women of a flood relief camp.
Raghu Eraviperur, was held after a female counsellor of the Thiruvalla Municipality raised objections to the post, saying that it is ‘defaming’ women.
Eraviperur was later granted bail after the news garnered media attention and enraged masses, who have organised a protest on Saturday in Thiruvalla against the police action.
Speaking to News18, the social activist who is the state coordinator of the NGO, Rights, said that he doesn’t know why he was arrested for trying to help women in distress.
He said that the post was to support female inmates in the camp opened at St. Thomas Higher Secondary School in Iruvallipra. They had every other essentials except ladies’ inner wear, but Eraviperur was confused about where and whom to ask for.
"My wife passed on the information after Rights coordinator Priya informed her about it. I posted it on my page as it reaches more number of people. Priya’s phone number was attached. Thereafter, we paid a visit to the camp,” he said.
“I spoke to Ajitha, a ward councillor . A sum of Rs 2000 we had with us was insufficient to meet the needs of 27 women over there. Promising to return the next day after collecting enough money, we left. I was told to distribute the merchandise on our own. That night, the police came home and took me along,” Eraviperur added.
He also said that the complainant at one point, had expressed willingness to withdraw the complaint, but “someone else is stopping her” from doing so. The ward councilor was unavailable for comments.
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