Kerala man accused of flashing in public, arrested again for molesting woman
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links. Savad Sha (29), a Kerala man previously arrested for flashing a woman on a public bus and controversially supported by men’s rights activists, has been arrested again – this time for allegedly molesting a woman on another public bus.The incident took place on June 14, aboard a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus headed to Malappuram. Thrissur East police took Savad into custody on Friday, June 20, and charged him with molestation.It was in 2023 that Savad first came into public attention in 2023, when a woman recorded him allegedly masturbating while seated between her and another female passenger on a KSRTC bus. In the video, Savad can be seen immediately standing up and hurrying towards the bus door as the woman asks him if he “can stop doing that”. He was arrested later following the complaint lodged by the woman.The case sparked widespread outrage in Kerala. However, following his release from jail, the All Kerala Men’s Association (AKMA), a local men’s rights group, publicly supported him. Members of the group visited Aluva Sub-Jail in Ernakulam and greeted him with a garland, claiming he had been framed for “fame” and insisting on his innocence.In light of the recent arrest, the woman who filed the 2023 complaint condemned the continued support Savad received. “The men’s association created another victim by supporting him,” she said. “Over the past two years, I’ve received many messages from people saying he did the same thing to them. They didn’t complain because they saw what I went through. Now, one more survivor has come forward.”When asked to comment on the new case, AKMA founder-president Ajith Kumar said the organization had no regrets about its earlier actions. “In the first case, we had the video and we did our own investigation before supporting him,” he said. “In this case, we don’t know the complainant, so we can’t confirm whether he was trapped or not.”Savad has now been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. Want to understand the bigger picture? We recently did a deep dive into how Kerala’s MRAs are shaping public discourse. Read it here; and support the kind of journalism that doesn’t look away.Celebrating accused men, shaming survivors: The rhetoric of Kerala MRAs
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Savad Sha (29), a Kerala man previously arrested for flashing a woman on a public bus and controversially supported by men’s rights activists, has been arrested again – this time for allegedly molesting a woman on another public bus.
The incident took place on June 14, aboard a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus headed to Malappuram. Thrissur East police took Savad into custody on Friday, June 20, and charged him with molestation.
It was in 2023 that Savad first came into public attention in 2023, when a woman recorded him allegedly masturbating while seated between her and another female passenger on a KSRTC bus. In the video, Savad can be seen immediately standing up and hurrying towards the bus door as the woman asks him if he “can stop doing that”. He was arrested later following the complaint lodged by the woman.
The case sparked widespread outrage in Kerala. However, following his release from jail, the All Kerala Men’s Association (AKMA), a local men’s rights group, publicly supported him. Members of the group visited Aluva Sub-Jail in Ernakulam and greeted him with a garland, claiming he had been framed for “fame” and insisting on his innocence.
In light of the recent arrest, the woman who filed the 2023 complaint condemned the continued support Savad received.
“The men’s association created another victim by supporting him,” she said.
“Over the past two years, I’ve received many messages from people saying he did the same thing to them. They didn’t complain because they saw what I went through. Now, one more survivor has come forward.”
When asked to comment on the new case, AKMA founder-president Ajith Kumar said the organization had no regrets about its earlier actions.
“In the first case, we had the video and we did our own investigation before supporting him,” he said. “In this case, we don’t know the complainant, so we can’t confirm whether he was trapped or not.”
Savad has now been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.
