The State police are likely to dismiss the complaint that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Forest Minister A. K. Saseendran had attempted to shield a top party aide from prosecution in an alleged sexual assault case.
The government pleader has reportedly told the police that Mr. Saseendran's “advice” to the father of the alleged victim to “settle the case in the proper way” did not tantamount to coercion.
A preliminary investigation had purportedly revealed no cognisable offence, an official said.
The scandal had put the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government on the backfoot in July after a voice clip of the purported conversation between the Minister and the victim’s father, an NCP leader in Kollam, emerged in the public domain.
The audio recording attributed to Mr. Saseendran did not reveal the name of the victim or the particulars of the alleged incident, the official pointed out.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition had raised the issue in the Assembly.
Opposition leader V. D. Satheeshan had accused the Minister of using the heft of his office to thwart the course of justice in a sexual harassment case.
Mr. Saseendran had defended his action by stating that he was not aware of the nature of the complaint. He had at no point attempted to undermine the woman’s complaint or persuade her to retract her petition.
Mr. Saseendran said he reckoned he was settling an intra-party dispute between two local leaders of the NCP in Kollam.
However, the “victim’s” father had accused Mr. Saseendran of doublespeak. He stated his daughter was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. However, her grievance was genuine.
The NCP had rallied behind Mr. Saseendran. The party said it saw a conspiracy to unsettle the LDF. It also suspended an array of leaders in Kollam for their alleged role in the scandal.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala slammed the government for misinterpreting the law to insulate Mr. Saseendran from prosecution. The LDF government swore by protecting the victims of misogyny.
However, the government’s actions belied its words, he said. The UDF would resist the move to absolve Mr. Saseendran of charges sans trial.
