Intervened without knowing it was sexual harassment case: Kerala minister

Kerala Forest Minister and senior NCP leader A K Saseendran on Tuesday refuted allegations that he intervened to settle a case of alleged bid by one of his party leaders to sexually assault a woman in Kollam district recently. The woman had lodged a police complaint against the NCP leader, who is also a hotel owner, last month.

Thiruvananthapuram:Kerala Forest Minister and senior NCP leader A K Saseendran on Tuesday refuted allegations that he intervened to settle a case of alleged bid by one of his party leaders to sexually assault a woman in Kollam district recently. The issue came to the fore after Malayalam news channels started airing the alleged telephonic conversation between Saseendran and the woman's father seeking to settle the issue by mutual agreement. The woman had lodged a police complaint against the NCP leader, who is also a hotel owner, last month. In his purported conversation with the father, the minister is heard saying that there was a minor issue in the party and it should be settled in a good manner.

When the man asks if the minister was seeking to settle the issue of a hotel owner's bid to sexually assault his daughter, the minister purportedly says he knew about the issue and it should be settled in a good manner. Talking to reporters today, the minister refuted the allegations. He did not deny his telephonic conversation but said he did not know that it was a sexual harassment case. Saseendran said he intervened in the matter as he thought it was some other issue related to his party workers.