Kerala YouTuber Shimjitha Arrested over Suicide of Kozhikode Man She Accused of Sexual Misconduct on Bus
Police are now working to obtain her mobile phone to check if the video clip was edited or altered.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Police arrested Shimjitha Musthafa, the main accused in the suicide of 42-year-old Deepak U C, from a relative’s home in Vadakara on Wednesday. She was presented before a court in Kunnamangalam and remanded to 14 days in custody, with plans to transfer her to Manjeri jail. The arrest followed an extensive manhunt across the state, along with a lookout notice to stop her from leaving the country.
Deepak was found dead at his home on Sunday after a video allegedly showing him misbehaving with Shimjitha, a female co-passenger on a Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus, went viral online. Struggling to handle the public humiliation, the young man, who worked at a textile company, took the extreme step. Police later located Shimjitha in Vadakara, where she had moved to a relative’s home from her residence in Chorode. She was taken to the Kozhikode Medical College police station after undergoing a medical examination at Koyilandy Taluk Hospital.
Police are now working to obtain her mobile phone to check if the video clip was edited or altered. Meanwhile, a crowd gathered outside the station, demanding strict action, including filing a murder case against Shimjitha. The chain of events began when Deepak travelled to Kannur on a KSRTC bus on January 16, the same day the alleged incident happened in Payyannur. The woman travelling with him posted a video on social media accusing him of sexual harassment, alleging he touched her intentionally.
Shimjitha, 35, a social media content creator and former member of the Areekode panchayat, shared a video online that quickly went viral on Instagram and Facebook, racking up over two million views and sparking a hate campaign against Deepak. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission stepped in, directing the North Zone DIG to submit a detailed probe report within a week. Meanwhile, the All Kerala Men's Association has petitioned the High Court for a CBI or Crime Branch investigation into the case.