On 3rd June 2023, the All Kerala Men’s Association (AKMA) felicitated Savad Sha, accused of flashing and masturbating in front of women on a bus, as he walked out of jail on bail. He was apprehended by the Kerala Police last month on charges of indecent exposure and self-pleasuring while aboard a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus.
AKMA President, Ajith Kumar from Vattiyoorkavu, had announced that their organisation will greet the 28-year-old individual, who was lodged in Aluva Sub-jail, with a garland upon his release on bail. The organisation accordingly welcomed him upon his release today.
According to Ajith Kumar, Savad was allegedly arrested by the police following a false complaint lodged by a woman, and he is now reportedly in a critical state, contemplating self-harm. However, Savad Sha was seen smiling when he was honoured by this so-called Men’s Rights association.
Ajith Kumar had said, “Initially, everyone including us was supporting the complainant. But later we realised that it was an evil scheme by the woman who has destroyed the life of a young man. This should not happen to any other men in Kerala.”
Additionally, Ajith Kumar asserted that the woman, with the intention of gaining publicity and increasing her social media following, had uploaded an edited video on Instagram. He claimed that the complainant woman has disappeared after her ill will was exposed.
Ajit Kumar expressed his belief that existing laws are biased against men and advocated for the establishment of a Men’s Commission to address the alleged misuse of these laws.
Savad Sha, hailing from Kozhikode, was taken into custody on May 18 following a complaint filed by Nandita Sankara, an actor and model. According to Nandita, the incident took place during a KSRTC bus journey from Thrissur to Nedumbassery. Savad Sha boarded the bus from Angamaly and occupied a seat next to Nandita. After some time, he allegedly began touching her inappropriately. To her shock, Nandita also noticed that he was masturbating. Faced with this disturbing sight, Nandita decided to record the act and confront Shah in front of other passengers.
As the incident unfolded, Nandita tried to distance herself from Savad Sha’s advances. She captured his actions on video and bravely confronted him, exposing his behaviour to fellow passengers. In an attempt to escape, Savad Sha forcefully pushed aside the conductor and made an effort to flee the bus. However, the driver and conductor managed to apprehend him, leading to his subsequent handover to the Nedumbassery Police.
Initially, Nandita received widespread admiration for her courage in getting the accused arrested. However, in the following days, a targeted social media campaign emerged, casting doubt on her allegations and accusing her of seeking publicity through false accusations. These allegations created a divisive atmosphere around the incident, overshadowing the initial support received by Nandita.
