Days after death of Kerala techie who alleged abuse at RSS shakha, video found in his laptop names ‘sexual abuser’

The techie died in Thiruvananthapuram last Thursday. In a scheduled Instagram post that appeared after his death, he had alleged that he was sexually abused during his days at an RSS shakha, and that the abuse had left him depressed. He also alleged that harassment is still going on at RSS shakhas.

The RSS has called for an impartial probe into the matter and denied claims of sexual harassment at its shakhas.

According to the family, the video was found when they opened his laptop days after his death. “He had left the laptop with a piece of paper on which its password and a message to open the system were written. A few days after his death, the family opened the system and recovered the video. It was handed over to the police,” said a family member.

Political furore

The Congress and Kerala’s ruling CPI(M) have raised concerns about the allegations he raised in his Instagram post, and criticised the RSS over the issue.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), demanded a probe into the suicide, with its state general secretary V K Sanooj saying, “We have been repeatedly talking about what’s happening in RSS shakhas. Many people had joined RSS… His death is a warning to such persons.”

Congress leader and the MP from Kerala’s Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Sunday took to X and said, “He clearly stated that he was not the only victim and rampant sexual abuse is taking place in RSS camps. If true, then this is horrifying. Lakhs of young children and teenagers attend these camps all over India.”

RSS Dakshina Keralam Saha Prantha Karyavah K B Sreekumar said the death of “one of our Swayamsevaks is sad and unfortunate”. Sreekumar also said the Instagram post “contains some dubious and baseless allegations against the Sangh”. In a petition submitted to police in Kottayam seeking an impartial probe into the incident, the RSS alleged that there was a deliberate and malicious attempt to implicate the organisation, which it claimed was possibly part of a larger conspiracy to malign and discredit its image in the public domain.

The BJP also commented on the issue on Monday, joining the call for a “free and fair” probe. The party also accused the Congress of playing “dastardly politics” over the incident to malign the image of the RSS.