A 21-year-old YouTuber named Binoy has moved the Kerala High Court seeking bail after being booked for allegedly raping and abetting the suicide of his girlfriend and co-content creator [Binoy v State of Kerala & anr].
The matter was taken up by the Court on Tuesday, when Justice CS Dias adjourned the hearing till October 18 after the prosecution requested time to file a report.
Binoy is said to have met the deceased girl (victim) through Instagram and collaborated with her to create content for a YouTube channel named “Murugakkol.” They traveled together, created content together and their relationship developed over time.
The girl attempted suicide in June this year and passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Her mother has alleged that Binoy forcibly took her daughter to Varkala in February 2024, shortly before her 18th birthday, where he allegedly raped her.
It was also alleged that when he found that the victim was pregnant, Binoy coerced her into terminating the pregnancy with the help of his friends.
The victim's mother further alleged that her daughter was cyberbullied after her relationship with Binoy ended, and that all of this led to her daughter becoming depressed and her eventual suicide attempt.
A case was registered on a complaint by the victim's mother against Binoy under multiple Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including for rape, and for offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act).
He was arrested on June 18, 2024, and has remained in jail since then. He approached the High Court for bail after a sessions court dismissed his bail plea.
In his bail plea, Binoy has claimed that he is innocent. He said that he and the deceased girl were in love, but that their relationship eventually became strained when the girl began collaborating with other YouTubers.
Binoy denied the accusations of rape, adding that the victim never made any such allegations against him before her death, nor did she leave a suicide note.
He further claimed that the victim’s suicide was due to pressure from her parents after she failed her 12th standard exams.
"The victim failed her Plus two examination and as a result, her parents subjected her to physical and mental harassment. They forcibly took her mobile phone and due to their unbearable harassment, the victim had committed suicide," Binoy's bail plea said.
Binoy's bail plea was moved by advocate MR Sarin.
[Read Order]