Kerala: Senior lawyer brutally beats pregnant colleague in T'puram, bar association and police take action

Thiruvananthapuram: An incident of violence against a junior woman lawyer, Syamili J V, 26, occurred at a lawyer's office near the Vanchiyoor court in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The perpetrator, Beyline Das, 48, a senior lawyer, brutally attacked Syamili during a heated discussion over an internal dispute involving a staff member.

The altercation turned violent when Das slapped Shyamili, causing her to fall. He then pulled her up and continued to slap her multiple times until she collapsed. The assault continued with Das using a mop stick to beat her. Shyamili suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized at the general hospital with a swollen face.

Vanchiyoor police, along with the Kerala Women's Commission and the State Youth Commission, registered cases against him. However, Das remains at large, with police yet to take him into custody.

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The police have charged him under various sections, including using criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, wrongful restraint, and causing hurt. The commissions have directed the City Police Commissioner to investigate the incident and submit a report.

Shyamili, who has worked at Beyline Das' office for three years, revealed that this was not the first instance of physical abuse by her senior. She claimed to have been attacked in front of others previously. The events leading up to the assault began when Shyamili was terminated from her position on Thursday, only to be asked to rejoin the office the following day.

Condemning the incident, the Bar Association promptly suspended Beylin Das for six months. During the suspension, Das will be barred from practicing law. An official notification from the council confirming the disciplinary action is expected to be released shortly.

The Bar Council is also scheduled to hold an online meeting this evening to review and discuss further steps regarding the case.

Shyamili filed a formal complaint with the Bar Council, demanding disciplinary action against Das. In her statement, she revealed that she was five months pregnant at the time of the assault. She explained that despite previous abuse, she had initially refrained from reporting the incidents due to Das's seniority in the legal community. According to her complaint, the assault escalated the previous day, with Das allegedly hitting her multiple times. She lost consciousness after the third blow.

The police investigation has faced hurdles in locating the accused. Beylin Das fled from Poonthura after switching off his mobile phone upon learning that the police were searching for him. Attempts to trace him through mobile tower data have so far been unsuccessful.

The Kerala Women’s Commission has also taken cognizance of the incident and registered a case. While disciplinary actions have been initiated by legal bodies, the search for Beylin Das is ongoing.