Translation of the interview:
Presenter:
We are beginning this episode with the story of a mother who has been waiting for years for the release of her son from jail. Though the case was in America, this mother broke her story in Dubai.
Shashi Abraham:
I am Anand Jon's mother, I am very proud to be Anand Jon's mother.
Back ground voice of presenter:
The words you just heard are the words of any mother would be proud when her children study well and grow up according to their parents expectations.
Now let us get into the story of this mother. This is Shashi Abrabham, sister of famed singer K. J. Yesudas's wife Prabha Yesudas, and the mother of Anand Jon, who was to go on to become a famous fashion designer. Fashion industry is a very fast growing industry in the world, and Anand was a rising star who even impressed American fashion designers. Her son was growing rapidly in fame when that unforgettabe black day came into her life - 2007, March 7th was that day. Anand Jon has been sentenced to 59 years in jail in a sexual assault case. This mother says that her innocent son was trapped by people who were jealous of the rapid rise of her son. This mother and sister Sanjana Jon have been fighting since the last 4 years for the release of the son who has been jailed in a false case.
Shashi Abraham:
Anand was arrested on false allegations on the 6th of March 2007, since then it has been a fight for me and my daughter Sanjana. We are doing the maximum that we can do. The American judicial system is one that I respect a lot, and I have a very good impression about that country also, but somewhy we didn't get justice there.
We see Anand brought in chains, both his hands are handcuffed, as a mother I don't have the mental strength to see that, but I don't have a choice. I have to look on, because I have to fight for him. My fight is not just as a mother, I am a person who worked along with him. What I am asking everyone here, is for help, support and help, I need both of those badly.
Back ground voice of presenter:
Whoever commits a crime should be punished, even if it is her son, everyone should obey the law, however, an innocent man should not be punished, doesn't that apply for her son too, she asks. There is no door that she hasn't knocked on with this appeal, Shashi says.
Shashi Abraham:
Rape is a very big crime, a person who commits it should get punished, whether if it is my son or anyone else, if anyone rapes a woman they should be punished. But false allegation is an even bigger crime than that - alleging a crime on an innocent man, that too, in another country. Anand has been in jail for 2 years even before his sentencing.
Where do I go and knock now? If anybody has got any answer they can give me, I will. As I was explaining, there are hundred doors, and in 1 door, the key is kept. which can open my son's cell and get him out. So until and unless I knock these doors I am not going to find it out.
Back ground voice of presenter:
The charges of sexual asault made in the accusations have not been proven. Physical examination of the the girls who made the accusation have proven that there hasn't been any sexual assault. Even then, why is my son having to suffer imprisonment of 59 years for a crime he hasn't committed, this mother asks.
Shashi Abraham:
There was only 1 rape rape kit, a forensic report, which says there was no assault related findings in that. And this is a forensic report from their medical department, it is nothing that myself or my daughter has done. This is what it is, and on this, they have given him 3 lifetimes. Where do I go for justice? Until and unless I fight for it I am never going to get it.
Anand took a lie detector test, and he passed. He challenged the girl who brought the false accusation to take it. In America they have a lot of laws that support and protect themselves. For this too, there is something called rape shield act, so they didn't take take it.
Prosecution has done many wrongdoings. They tell the girls it is ok to lie, people do lie.
Back ground voice of presenter:
Her innocent son is languishing in the darkness of jail for many years. He says in a letter from jail that he does not even get sunlight and fresh air.
Shashi Abraham:
My son is languishing in jail. More than that there is nothing that is going to hurt me, to see him there. And there's a letter, I don't know whether you have got it, which he has written from the jail, he hasn't seen the sunlight, he has never seen the sky, he never had fresh air. He was always locked in a 6 by 4 small little cell. He was in solitary confinement. For what?
Back ground voice of presenter:
This family has lost the joy in the name 'Anand' for many years. As per American laws, crores of rupees have to be given as bail. She says this amount is too high for her to bear.
Shashi Abraham:
There were about 24 girls, and the day before the trial, they dropped most of them, then ended up with 10 girls. So what were they doing with the 24 girls and all the counts? As long as the counts are high, his bail amount will be that high, so that it was beyond my condition or my situation to bail him out for 2 and half million or 5 million dollars. They were asking for 5 million dollars, the judge said 2 and a half million dollars. Whether it is 5 or 2 and a half million dollars I am in no position to get him out. So this sort of a scenario, if it happens in a foreign country, how do an Indian bail him out? He can't! He will be languishing in jail. And if he doesn't get justice, who is there to ask questions?
Back ground voice of presenter:
Newsweek magazine had featured Anand Jon as a personality to watch out for from the fashion industry in 2006. In 2007 clothes manufacturers were planning to sell his new jeans line featuring his handwritten signature. These allegations came against Anand 3 days before a Wall Street company was going to sign an agreement with him. Fashion models who were working with him from 2001 onwards came together with these complaints against him in 2007. It is a mystery why they did this, just like this jail sentence.
Shashi Abraham:
It is very difficult to penetrate into the fashion industry, that too in a country like America. Anand was able to achieve it by God's grace and by his hard work and his talent. Very dramatically, Giorgio Armani called Anand within 9 days and sponsored him. Anand was the only fashion designer who was sponsored by Armani. By 2006, Wall Street evaluated the brand name called Anand Jon, and they were starting to fund him. In early January 2007 (Decemeber end) Newsweek picked up Anand as the designer to watch in America.
Back ground voice of presenter:
This Malayali family is caught in a corporate game between companies in America, says prominent lawyer Advocate Ashik.
Advocate Ashik:
Whe she's explained all these things, then only we realized that it is a corporate game. This happened 3 days before a million dollars agreement was to be signed with a company from Wall Street.
Presenter: Anand Jon should at least now have a chance to be proved innocent. Let us hope that this mother's wait for her son to be free from jail is fulfilled soon.
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