Sexual harassment: After Pinarayi-Mukesh meeting, CPM decides to support Kollam MP

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid calls for his resignation as MP, actor-politician M. Mukesh contacted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and made a statement on the allegations of sexual assault against him, reports said.
The Maradu police in Ernakulam filed non-bailable charges against the Kollam MP, including rape. These charges included a charge of rape. Earlier, they had received a complaint from an actress from Kochi.

In his statement to the CM, Mukesh reportedly denied the allegations against him and claimed that the complainant was blackmailing him. He told the CM that he would submit evidence, including WhatsApp chats, to prove the actress' conspiracy against him.

At the same time, sources suggested that Mukesh was in hiding after the actress made allegations of sexual harassment against him in the media. Despite police tightening security at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram, the actor could not be traced either in the capital or in his hometown Kollam.

When all eyes were on the CPM's stance on Mukesh's resignation, the party took a surprise step in favour of the MP. The party's secretariat availability allowed Mukesh to retain the MP post while the inquiry was still underway. The CPM also ignored the CPI national leadership's demand for Mukesh's resignation as the state committee had not yet asked for it. However, the party will ask the government to remove Mukesh from the Film Policy Committee while it is being reorganised.

Meanwhile, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam will meet the chief minister and CPM secretary MV Govindan and demand that Mukesh resign from politics. Reports say that there is a simmering atmosphere among CPI members over Mukesh's resignation.

On Thursday morning, senior CPI leader Annie Raja asked Mukesh to resign as MP and face an inquiry. Maradu police booked Mukesh under IPC sections 376 (rape), 354 (outraging modesty of a woman), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman) and 454 (trespass).