A female Saudi citizen was allegedly sexually molested recently by a famous Malayali vlogger Shakir Subhan who operates a social media channel called Mallu Traveller based out of Kannur and has 2.71 million followers on YouTube.
This assault had taken place in a hotel located on MG Road, Bangalore during Zakir’s stay on Tuesday night 12 September 2023. The vlogger who allegedly molested this Saudi National is currently abroad.
According to the victim, she was in a romantic relationship with the man who she had connected via social media and while they were in a hotel room, the assault on her took place. The victim said that as soon as her partner briefly left the room, Zakir saw that as an opportunity and molested her.
The woman and her partner were in Ernakulam for an event when they crossed paths with Shakhir at his hotel. According to her, Shakhir extended an invitation to their room, where the alleged incident took place. She detailed the sequence of events, explaining that they initially met Shakhir in the hotel lobby for a casual conversation, and subsequently, he invited them to his room. It was in his room that she asserted Shakhir molested her, a statement she made in a video later posted on YouTube.
In the video, she recounted how Shakhir persisted in molesting her despite her attempts to fend him off.
She also revealed that she refrained from immediately informing her partner about the assault due to concerns that it might lead to a confrontation with Shakhir. Instead, she chose to disclose the incident to her partner at a later time. Furthermore, she stated that she had reported the incident to the Saudi embassy in Delhi, as well as the Saudi consulate in Mumbai, and had also lodged a formal complaint with the police.
Expressing her gratitude for the prompt response of the authorities, she emphasized, “My father holds a government position, and I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Law. No one should have the right to touch another person’s body without their explicit consent.”
The female vlogger also expressed her astonishment that such an incident occurred in India, a country where she felt warmly embraced by the local culture and hospitality. She stressed that this was the first time anyone had violated her personal boundaries without her consent. She had a message for girls, especially those in Kerala: “If you have experienced any form of molestation by Shakhir or anyone else, I urge you not to hesitate to speak out and report the incident to the police.”
Initially, the victim was too traumatized to file a police complaint but later after she found support from her friends, she filed a complaint. A case under section 354 (Outraging the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against Suban.
Whether it's Aisha or any Saudi woman, women are not safe in the hands of PEACEFUL people’s Hand!!
— महारथी-മഹാരഥി (@MahaRathii) September 17, 2023
The Ernakulam Central police have initiated an investigation after a Saudi national woman made an allegation of molestation against PEACEFUL MALLU vlogger “Alias Shakir Subhan”,… pic.twitter.com/VNCmkpKphq
However, in a video released on YouTube today, Shakir Subhan vehemently refuted the accusations lodged against him.
Shakir Subhan asserted that the complaint was unfounded. In a video posted on his widely followed YouTube channel, “Mallu Traveller,” boasting over 2.7 million subscribers, he clarified that the couple had initially reached out to him on Instagram, identifying themselves as devoted fans. He explained that they had contacted him while he was attending a gathering of social media influencers in Kochi, requesting a meeting. Following the influencer event, numerous individuals sought to meet him. Shakir mentioned that his brother was present during this time, and he was nearly asleep when the couple arrived at his room. Subsequently, his brother left the room. The couple, he alleged, informed him that they were in dire financial straits and asked for both monetary assistance and support with their social media promotions.
Shakir went on to state that the couple had arrived and departed together, directly contradicting the woman’s claims. He expressed suspicion that this might be an orchestrated scheme against him, referring to it as a potential “honey trap.” Additionally, he pledged to refute the allegations once he returns from Canada.
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