'Vanitha' magazine carries rape-accused actor Dileep on cover; earns ire
Kerala's leading women's magazine, Vanitha, has become the recipient of criticism and public ire after carrying a cover story on disgraced Malayalam superstar, Dileep. The actor, who is accused of sexually assaulting an actress, and his family were featured on the magazine's cover with Dileep being displayed as the epitome of a family man. And, this has deeply infuriated netizens, journalists, and many celebrities.
Trigger warning to be noted
The following story might contain words or phrases related to sexual assault that can be triggering to some. Please read at your own discretion.
Why does this story matter?
Back in 2017, Dileep was arrested and sent to custody for his alleged involvement in masterminding abduction and rape of a popular Malayalam actress. Although a lot of evidence was present against Dileep and he spent a few months in jail, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) has been accused of shielding the actor. Even the judiciary procedure has been disappointing for some.
'Vanitha'/Malayala Manorama accused of deliberately publishing positive articles on Dileep
Reacting to the cover, author/journalist Anna MM Vetticad tweeted: "India's top women's magazine has chosen to put #Dileep on the cover. #Vanitha translates to "Woman". They should be renamed anti-Vanitha. Sick!" "Shame on you Vanitha magazine," wrote actress Swara Bhasker. Journalist SR Praveen said this cover was only one of multiple positive articles published on Dileep by Vanitha/Malayala Manorama group in the recent past.
Calls of shame were raised online
Cover story comes days after public prosecutor, representing victim, resigned
The cover story not only undermines the struggles of the assault survivor but also has a curious timing. It came days after special public prosecutor VN Anilkumar, representing the victim in the assault case, resigned on December 29. Although the reason behind his resignation isn't clear, reports have said the prosecutor had an argument with the judge, after which he left the courtroom.
After getting bail, Dileep was also reinstated as AMMA member
Notably, Anilkumar is the second prosecutor to resign after A Suresan, who had expressed disappointment at how things were going, even alleging the judge to have a bias. After being denied bail four times, Dileep was granted conditional bail in October 2017. However, the AMMA had reinstated him as a member soon. This led to multiple actresses, including the victim, resigning from the organization.
