The Sangh Parivar goons threatened witnesses who were coming out of Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, in Thrissur, Kerala after giving their statement before the magistrate in the case filed by VIBGYOR Film Collective against vandalism committed by the Sangh Parivar activists in an effort to stop the screening of the film “Ocean of Tears” by Kashmiri film maker Bilal A. Jan. About 25 Sangh Parivar goons led by BJP leader Advocate Goplakrishnan surrounded famous Malayalm poet Anwar Ali and VIBGYOR Film Collective Secretary Sarath Cheloor in the court premises and threatened of grave consequences if they did not withdraw their testimony. They even tried to manhandle them.

Threatening witnesses is a grave crime in Indian criminal justice system. The threat happened in the court premises itself raises the graveness of the crime. The gang who threatened the witnesses included at least three advocates is even more serious crime.