Kerala HC seeks clarification on ex-minister's acquittal

The Kerala High Court today sought clarification from the state government on the acquittal of NCP MLA and former Kerala minister A K Saseendran of sexual harassment charges.
Considering a plea filed by a woman seeking to set aside the lower court order acquitting Saseendran, Justice Sunil Thomas directed the government to explain the circumstances that led to withdraw the case against him.
The state government raised doubts on the genuineness of the petitioner's address. The court also asked government to probe this aspect also.
Petitioner Mahalakshmi was present in the court today.
In her petition, Mahalakshmi alleged that Saseendran influenced the woman who levelled the sexual harassment charges and pressured her for settlement in the case in the chief judicial magistrate's court at Thiruvananthapuram.

She alleged that the magistrate showed 'undue consideration' in disposing of the case by advancing it out of turn by discharging the accused in a hurried manner.

The magistrate court had acquitted Saseendran, holding that no case had been made out against him that warranted conviction.
The case, an off-shoot of a sleaze audio tape row involving Saseendran and the woman, had taken a new turn with the latter reversing her statement in court that he had misbehaved with her.
She had also stated during cross examination that she was not sure about whether the "person on the other side of the phone" was Saseendran.

A PIL was filed in the same court on the day of the verdict, stating that the woman journalist might have reversed her statement due to "fear" and that proceedings should not be closed.
The chief judicial magistrate had rejected the plea, stating that it was a matter between the two persons and a third person cannot interfere.
The case was registered against Saseendran after the woman filed a complaint, in which she stated that he had misbehaved with her when she met him for an interview at his office.
Saseendran resigned as minister in March 2017 and Thomas Chandy, the other MLA of the party, replaced him as transport minister.