Panel's terms of reference need to be examined for quashing

The Kerala High Court today said the terms of reference of a judicial commission, which probed the allegations against former minister A K Saseendran, were required to be examined before taking a decision on a plea for quashing the sexual harassment complaint against him.
The court said this while considering the plea by a woman employee of a TV channel seeking to quash the sexual harassment case she had filed against Saseendran.
The woman had approached the court early this month for quashing the case, citing that the dispute between her and Saseendran has been amicably settled out of court.

The petition was filed after the chief judicial magistrate court of Thiruvananthapuram dismissed her plea.
Justice Sunil Thomas today sought the terms of reference of the Justice P S Antony Commission which probed the case.
The judge then posted the case to December 12 for further hearing.

Saseendran resigned as transport minister in March after a purported audio clip of him speaking in sexual undertones to the woman emerged.
In her complaint, the woman had alleged that Saseendran misbehaved with her when she approached him on November 8 last year at his residence to get his interview for the channel.

A case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including sexual harassment (section 354A), stalking (section 354D), and insulting modesty of woman (section 509) was registered against Saseendran on the basis of the complaint.