Kerala minister allegedly tried to settle molestation case

Kerala Forest Minister and NCP leader A K Saseendran had allegedly intervened in settling a molestation complaint at Kollam district in Kerala.

With the voice recording of the minister asking the complainant woman's father over phone to settle the case coming out, the Minister is on the defensive. Saseendran maintained that he intervened without knowing that it was a molestation case. While the accused and complainant's father are NCP local leaders, the complainant is a BJP worker.

The police did not register a case on the molestation complaint of the woman even three weeks after the complaint was filed.

The accused allegedly grabbed the woman by her hand and tried to sexually harass her at a hotel in Kollam district in March. The complaint was given at Kundara police in the rural parts of Kollam on June 28.

In the telephonic conversation with the woman's father, the minister could be heard telling that the complaint should be settled amicably. The minister later maintained that he intervened as the accused was a party local leader and he was unaware that it was a molestation complaint. But in the audio conversation, the woman's father could be heard telling the minister that it was a molestation and sexual harassment bid attempt. Even then, Saseendran could be heard telling that the matter should be settled amicably

The woman's father told a section of media that the delay in filing the petition was due to fear of disgrace as well as fear of being implicated in a false case by the accused. He also alleged that the police seem to be trying to scuttle the complaint as no case was even registered so far.

Opposition Congress and BJP leaders in Kerala demanded that Saseendran be ousted from the Cabinet.

Kollam District Additional Superintendent of Police Madhusoodanan told DH that the case was not registered so far for want of specific information from the complainant. The complainant did not remember the day the alleged incident occurred. Though it was also alleged that attempts were made to defame them through social media, they did not submit any substantiating materials like screenshots.

The police special branch unit has been asked to verify the complaint and based on that a decision on whether to register a case or not would be taken.