The mother and sister of Rahul P. Gopal, the accused in the Pantheerankavu domestic violence case, moved the Kozhikode Sessions Court on Saturday seeking anticipatory bail, claiming that they had no role in the alleged attack on the newly-wed woman.
The woman, who survived the alleged attack by her husband, had not mentioned the mother-in-law and sister-in-law in her earlier statement, but had added them later. The two women pointed out in their bail application that the survivor was most likely pressured by her relatives to add their names. They also raised a complaint against the police for troubling them about an impending arrest, and alleged that the police was in a haste to arrest them due to pressure from the media.
The move comes as the investigating team contemplates charging the two women for dowry harassment. They were issued notices to report for questioning twice, but failed to comply, said the police.