In the Ernakulam district of Kerala, YouTuber Shakir Subhan popularly known as “Mallu Traveler” has been booked after a Saudi Arabian citizen alleged that the YouTuber tried to molest her on September 13 under the pretext of an interview. While the vlogger is currently in the United Kingdom, a lookout notice has reportedly been issued against him by the Kerala Police.
The Saudi woman alleged that the incident transpired on September 13, when she along with her partner went to interview the accused vlogger/YouTuber at a luxury hotel in Ernakulam. The victim alleged that Shakir Subhan had invited her along with her partner to his hotel room where he molested her.
Taking to X (formerly, Twitter), complainant Atheer Al Amriyah narrated the sequence of events and said, “We went to meet Shakhir for casual talk at the hotel lobby. Then Shakir invited us to his room. While we were in his room, (my partner) went outside, and Shakhir molested me. He touched my hands and forcibly pushed me to bed. He touched my breasts and kissed my cheeks. I pushed him away and stood up, when he came back again, he rubbed his private part to my body,” the Saudi national said.
She further said that, despite her efforts to push him away, Shakir Subhan continued to molest her. “I pushed him away from me and asked, ‘Why are you touching my body without my permission?’ ‘I am a man,’ he answered. I’m feeling horny and want to have sex with you.’ I went away from him,” she added.
I Am A Saudi Arabian Citizen,
— Atheer Al Amriyah💚 أثير العَمرية (@AtheerAlAmriyah) September 26, 2023
Staying In Kerala, India,
Shakir Subhan (Mallu Traveler) An YouTuber Molested Me. pic.twitter.com/g1qoZSNRI7
She continued by saying she did not inform her partner about her assault immediately out of concern that he would fight with the accused. However, she informed her partner about the conduct of the accused vlogger later.
She further stated that she reported the matter to the Saudi embassy in Delhi and the Saudi consulate in Mumbai, in addition to filing a police complaint.
The accused vlogger was charged with outraging a woman’s modesty under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Ernakulam Central police station. Vlogger Shakir Subhan alias Mallu Traveler has over 2.71 M subscribers on YouTube. According to the complaint, the accused allegedly attempted to outrage the modesty of the Saudi national.
The complainant further stated in the video that she never expected to be involved in such an incident in India saying that India treats guests as Gods. She also urged other women, particularly from Kerala, to speak up if they have faced similar incidents by Shakir Subhan or any other person and seek help from the police.
“Malayalis accepted me as their daughter-in-law and Indians consider guests as equal to god, as I hear this ‘Atithi devo bhava’. This happened to me in India, I never thought such an incident would happen to me in such a country. This is the very first time that anyone has dared to touch my body without my permission. I have a message for girls, especially those in Kerala. If you have been molested by Shakir or anyone else, please do not hesitate to speak up and go to the police,” she said.
Meanwhile, Shakir Subhan aka Mallu Traveler has reportedly refuted the allegations levelled by the Saudi woman calling it “hundred percent fake”. He added that he will counter the complaint with appropriate facts.
