Kerala police have received a request to investigate sexual-harassment allegations against a former CPI(M) district chief in Palakkad. The allegations are contained in a complaint and have not been established in court.
John Daniel, secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, asked the state police chief to register a case against E.N. Suresh Babu and investigate. The Hindu reported that the police chief’s office forwarded the complaint to the Palakkad district police chief for further action.
Daniel’s complaint says a woman had previously submitted a complaint against Babu, with supporting evidence, to the CPI(M)’s state leadership. It also alleges that Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan failed to act on that complaint. These are claims made in Daniel’s police complaint. The report does not say police have verified them or filed charges against anyone.
Babu was removed as Palakkad district secretary at an expanded district committee meeting that reviewed election results. Police are expected to conduct a preliminary inquiry, examine the allegations and submitted material, and decide what action to take. At the time of The Hindu’s report, the complaint had been forwarded to the district police, and no investigation outcome had been reported.
The Congress had earlier called for police to take up the matter. Its Palakkad block committee also filed a separate complaint with the district police chief. The BJP joined calls for an investigation. Its representative Prashanth Sivan said an internal party process could not replace the work of the police and courts.
CPI(M) state committee member N.N. Krishnadas told The Hindu that Babu had already been kept away from party activities and that the party would examine the complaint before taking organisational and legal action. The newspaper reported that CPI(M) leaders were also considering a special commission and further decisions at a state secretariat meeting later this month. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said removing Babu as district secretary was consistent with communist party principles.