Assault hasn't curbed victim's pub weekends

Priya George, head of an international NGO and who was among the feisty group of women that took on an Audi-driving boor and his men, reveals what happened in the aftermath of the attack

Priya George, head of an international NGO and who was among the feisty group of women that took on an Audi-driving boor and his men, reveals what happened in the aftermath of the attacku00a0

Priya George, who was among the women attacked near a pub on Church Street last month, hasn't stopped going to the pubs.

MiD DAY spoke to Priya, who heads an international NGO, working for AIDS patients.

The pub before which the women were attacked Pic/Ramesh H S

Do you think the police sympathise with the moral brigade?
The Cubbon Park police, unlike others, gave us a positive impression. I don't think the police sympathise with the moral brigade. But I can't generalise. There are good cops and bad cops.

The policemen at the station were helpful, but the beat policemen on the spot turned a blind eye to the assault. In my experience, beat constables and patrol vehicle policemen do not care about such incidents.

Do you think your attackers were from the moral brigade?
I don't know. But people who attack women are goons who take advantage of the moral brigade to settle personal scores.

What could be the motive for the attack?
We were standing in front of Guzzlers when a brand new car screeched to a halt inches from us. They were trying to scare us. One of my friends, a woman, banged on the bonnet with her hand and asked them what they were up to.u00a0 The men in the car jumped out and pounced on us... their ego was hurt. They started kicking and slapping the women. They kicked us in the groin, which showed their perverted intentions.

Is their any change in your lifestyle after the attack?
No. In fact, we have not stopped going to the pubs on weekends. We run into some of the assailants there. The police officers have given us some mobile numbers. Also, people's support has helped us a great deal.

What do you want to say to victims of such attacks?
We recently met the director-general and inspector-general of police who promised us safety. Soon after the attack, many groups, including Fearless Karnataka, aligned with us and extended their support. We are planning to create awareness by writing letters to all police stations on how to handle such attacks. We are also distributing handbills to women, giving them police and SOS numbers for use in such situations.

What happened to the attackers?
Ravi Mallya (38), a real estate honcho who lives off Brigade Road, led the group that jumped out of a white Audi and allegedly assaulted Priya and her friends.

With him were Mohan Basava (22) of Chamarajpet, R Vijay Kumar Ramalingaraju (25), and Shivu Rajashekar (20). The last two are residents of Vyalikaval. The group, booked for assault, obtained bail after spending two days in Parappana Agrahara jail. Cubbon Park police told MiD DAY they would soon submit a final charge sheet against them.