Kochi: A 18-year-old girl residing in Kochi has alleged that P S Sajeesh, owner of Inkfected, the famous tattoo studio at Padivattam, Kochi, raped her during tattooing. She has named him, his studio, Inkfected and has also shared his Telegram ID on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXIndia/comments/t440un/i_cant_feel_tw_sexual_assault_rpe/
Here is the ordeal she went through in her own words:
I’ve been trying to feel something about all of this and I’ve so far come up with nothing. I’ve only spoken to two friends, a guy friend and my parents about this and they’re all so angry about what happened and yet I’m just numb. It’s only been a week and I still don’t feel like I’ve had something traumatic happen to me.
A week ago I went with a guy friend of mine to a tattoo studio in Kochi, Kerala. It’s a really famous studio, their Instagram page has over 40K followers and they have major celebrities visiting them. I also had another tattoo done at the same place for which my mom accompanied me. The new tattoo I had in mind had sexual innuendo and so I didn’t really specify where I was going to my mom. Anyway, all was fine and I reached the place, alone at first, decided on the tattoo and its placement and since the position was on my lower back, I was more comfortable getting it done privately (i.e in a closed room where he usually does celebrity tattoos). I was wearing high waisted jeans so I had to unbutton and loosen it down to my hip. He started his work and I felt comfortable. All was okay, it was painful and so I asked for a break after he was done with the outline.
Took my break and that’s when my friend showed up, we just sat outside chilling and talking and that’s when he said he had to drop his wife home and so he’ll be back and then he’ll resume the work. I was okay with that. Ironically I’d mentioned to my friend how this place made me feel more comfortable than most hospitals would have made me feel. Little did I know. He came back after 20 mins, it was already getting a bit late. I had to get back home by 6 and it was already 4:30.
He resumed the work except for this time he started asking me questions. “Are you a feminist?” “What is the meaning behind your tattoo?” All normal at first then he asked how old I was, I answered coz u have to be 18 to be there without a guardian. I was 18 but now that I think about it I prolly should have lied and said I was a minor coz he would’ve been more scared to do anything. He then said “I might lose control haha” the tattooing sound was loud so I didn’t quite understand what that meant and I ignored it.
my tattoo was basically a vagina with angelic wings and so he started getting a little too personal and started making me feel uncomfortable “Is the tattoo because you like sex?” “Are you a virgin?” “How many times have you done it?” “Is the guy outside your boyfriend?” “Do you know about bdsm?” I’m a people pleaser and I didn’t know how to deflect and just get up and idk fucking slap the guy so I just laughed all of his questions off. I was also a bit scared coz he had a goddamn needle on my spine. That’s when he started loosening up my jeans more. He did ask if I was ok with it and I said yeah coz my dumbass genuinely thought it was coz he was getting to the lower parts of the tattoo.
Then he started holding my stomach for support and pulling me towards him. That’s when my instinct kicked in but I was terrified of moving and I never thought he’d have the audacity to do something. And this mf just removed my pants while he still had the needle on me. And then went into my underwear and started doing whatever He had gloves on and asked me if I was on my period. I didn’t speak. I just froze and couldn’t process wtf was happening. I wasn’t on my period but I guess I was spotting. So he stopped tattooing and took a tissue wiped down there and went on to use his finger to do whatever and then he stood me up bent me over and again asked if I liked bdsm. First off I wanted to puke from the pain of tattooing, I was so nauseous I thought I’d faint. I said nothing and this asshole tattooed me while I was bent over and made it more painful somehow.
I didn’t speak a word. I didn’t say stop I didn’t say no. I just felt like dying right there on the spot for being so stupid. then he just turned me around and kissed me and then he removed his pants and had sex with me from behind without a condom. My phone started ringing then. And that was the first time I spoke and I said it’s my mom and I have to go back home. He said ok, fucking wiped down there again and said the tattoo is incomplete so come back on Tuesday. You don’t have to pay for it. I felt so disgusted. I went out pretended like nothing happened asked my friend to just drop me home and that was the end.
Told two of my friends, thought nobody would believe me coz I was so fucking stupid about it. But they did and I love them. They told my parents for me. Parents got emergency pills coz no condom. And asked a family friend who is a lawyer about how we could get justice. But she said there isn’t any eyewitness and no evidence down there and unless somebody else had the same experience we won’t get anywhere with this coz there isn’t any precedence.
I still wasn’t mad. I just thought it was all my fault which I guess is normal. But I feel like I could have maybe done things differently and this wouldn’t have happened.
This is probably too long and I don’t think anyone will read this but at least it’s out there. Pls, text if you have any info.
Edit: the place is called INKFECTED tattoo studio run by sujeesh