Trigger warning: Mentions of rape, sexual assault.
Following a Reddit post that was shared two days ago, a number of women have shared on social media, allegations of sexual harassment against a well-known tattoo artist in Kochi, Kerala. Sujeesh PS, the man who runs the tattoo studio Inkfected, has been named by multiple women for allegedly sexually abusing them.
Though the Kerala police have not received any formal complaints, they have started investigation. The tattoo studio, a senior cop informed The Quint, has been shut for the past two days and the artist’s phone has been switched off.
The Kochi-based tattoo artist’s client list includes leading artists from the Malayalam film industry. He has been known for the intricate details in his tattoo work.
The Quint tried reaching Sujeesh but he was unavailable. The police, however, confirmed that he has been absconding.
The First Rape Allegation and Its Domino Effect
The flood of allegations began with an anonymous post on Reddit (a discussion website) on Tuesday, 2 March, where an 18-year-old young woman narrated how she was raped inside the tattoo studio about two weeks ago.
She alleged that the man had escorted her into a private room to be inked. She accused the man of asking many uncomfortable questions as she was getting a tattoo.
“He started getting a little too personal and started making me feel uncomfortable. ‘Are you a virgin?’ 'Is the tattoo because you like sex?’ How many times have you done it?’ Is the guy outside your boyfriend?’” her post read. He then allegedly sexually assaulted and raped her, the post alleged. With the tattoo incomplete, she fled the studio and later told her parents.
“I still wasn’t mad. I just thought it was all my fault which I guess is normal. But I feel I could have...done things differently and this wouldn’t have happened,” her post read.
The Quint tried reaching the survivor but was unable to connect. The police are yet to take action in the absence of a formal complaint, but they have reached out to the survivor to record her statement.
The Station House Officer of Palarivattom told, “We reached out to the girl and she said she will talk to her parents and get back to us. But we haven't got any response from her. Once we get a complaint from her we will register the FIR immediately and start probing the case.”
Accounts of Assault Pour in on Social Media
The post triggered a flurry of responses both on Reddit and Instagram with several women sharing their experiences of sexual assault.
"I feel bad about myself. If I had spoken about it then, I could have saved many from this bad experience. Yesterday, one of my friends shared this Reddit post and I felt that it is high time to speak," said a woman, who shared her ordeal in a video on Instagram.
Jia* (name changed) who has been collating the details of the survivors told The Quint, “This is shocking. We know there is no evidence but the testimonies of so many women should be proof enough. At least 10 women have agreed to file formal complaints and we will soon be taking it forward legally."
Explaining her ordeal, Reshmi* (name changed) told The Quint that a year ago, when she went to get a tattoo, Sujeesh had asked all the artists to leave so that the two of them were left alone.
“He then with his unoccupied hands took my palm which was on his lap and started to rub his penis with it. At first I was like, was I reading too much into it? Am I misunderstanding what is happening, but deep inside I knew. I just froze up and he kept doing this the whole time till he finished up the tattoo which took around two hours I guess,” she recounted.
“As it is getting a tattoo is a huge risk and usually there is so much nervousness. And that's what he took advantage of. He asked personal questions like if I have a boyfriend, what I am doing, if anyone was going to pick me up and so many other intrusive questions,” she added.
“You don't want to accept that you were harassed. So I didn't want to talk about it. Months have passed but occasionally I think to myself, 'Was I harassed? Was I in complete denial?' When I saw a friend's friend post this, it validated my fear and confusion.”Reshmi*, Survivor
Another young woman, Pooja* (name changed) who is a photographer by profession told The Quint that she faced similar assault twice in 2018.
The accused had allegedly placed her hand on his groin and forced her to keep it there when she resisted.
“Every time I moved my hand away from sheer disgust he would hold it and keep it on his groin and continue tattooing. He also pulled down my top and grabbed my breast a few times,” she recounted.
Scarred by the incident, she had shared the experience with her friends and urged them not to visit the studio.
“Every time I saw a tattoo artist it freaked me out. It took me back to that place. But over time I drew strength from myself so that I can deal with this.”Pooja*, Survivor
None of the Allegations Have Been Addressed
Sujeesh, who has an Instagram following of over 52,000 followers, has not addressed the allegations on social media.
Some of the survivors mentioned that Sujeesh gave them a “discount” on the bill after the tattoo was done. He also allegedly does not let the women’s friends accompany them inside the room where he inks them. Several women told The Quint that he even locks the room.
There are several other accounts on social media, including people who have posted videos of their experiences.
Fear of Not Getting Justice
At least 25 women have spoken up on social media and the posts have gone viral. But when The Quint spoke to at least six survivors they said that they were apprehensive of registering a formal complaint due to the absence of evidence.
"I know many people who've been harassed by him but they are married or have other reasons for not coming forward,” said Pooja.
"The problem with my case is that I have no evidence so I don't think I'll be taken seriously. I didn't put up any stories, I paid by cash and don't have even the bills."Reshmi Survivor
Via Kochi, an Instagram page has been sharing the posts and also connecting the women with lawyers to help with the legal process.
Advocate Raghul Sudheesh told The Quint, “We have to get the legal process in motion by registering complaints with the police. The biggest challenge would be the timeline because some of the incidents happened in 2018.”
The Quint has learnt that there are allegations by an employee of the same studio which is yet to come to the notice of the police.
“Many asked me why I was coming forward only now after so many years. But I'd like to tell that when this happened to me, it just made me numb. I have always been someone who speaks up against such issues but I was unable to do it then,” said Reshmi.
The Palarivottam SHO told The Quint that they’ve taken cognisance of the issue.
“Even if there is an allegation that is coming to light after a long time, say after years, we will take it seriously. Even if there is no absolute evidence we will find that out proof through our probe. But since we haven't got any complaints we haven't been able to investigate it thoroughly," said the senior police officer.
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