New Delhi: Olympian Mayookha Johny has alleged that a female friend of her was raped by businessman Chungath Johnson in Thrissur, and the police and former Kerala women’s commission chief M.C. Josephine helped cover it up and protected the accused. Police say a new investigation team with women is now looking into the case.Johny, a national record holder in women’s triple jump, addressed the media on Monday saying she was speaking on behalf of the survivor, who still faced threats and intimidation from the accused.The incident occurred in 2016, Johny said, when the accused went into the survivor’s house without permission. “He [Johnson] took her nude videos. The woman, then unmarried, did not then lodge a police complaint (fearing disgrace, and in view of her ailing parents). The accused continued to threaten and harass her over phone — even after she got married in 2018,” Johny said, according to the Indian Express.In 2020, according to Mathrabhumi, the women’s in-laws came to know about the threats she was facing. They supported her when she approached the Thrissur-rural SP, G. Poonguzhali, and filed a complaint. “She reacted positively when they went for the first time. But later, she ignored them due to the influence of the culprit,” Johny was quoted as saying. The survivor recently wrote to the chief minister about the lack of progress in the probe.Also read: After Multiple Young Women Die in Kerala, Discussion on Dowry, Women’s Rights Gain TractionPoonguzhali said she reviewed the case and thought the probe was being conducted as it should. “I have reviewed the case and did not find any lapse in probe so far. There is no scientific evidence in the case, as the complaint came years after the incident. We have to proceed with circumstantial evidence, and such a step would take some time,” Indian Express quoted her as saying.“I have formed a new investigation team with women police officers and the case has been transferred to the district crime branch (from local police). Besides, allegations raised by Mayookha are being looked into by special branch (intelligence wing) police,” she continued.Johny claimed thats Johnson knows many influential people. A Catholic bishop from Thrissur “intervened in favour of the accused”, and a minister in the previous LDF government also allegedly tried to “torpedo the probe”, she claimed. M.C. Josephine, who quit as the women’s commission chief last week after outrage over her remarks to a domestic violence victim, too to told the police not to pursue the probe, Johny said.The SP denied these allegations, according to the Indian Express. “There was no pressure from political parties or any other side. We are probing the case in an independent manner.”