Thiruvananthapuram: In a fresh twist to the Mangalam TV honey-trap case, the woman who made the telephone conversation with former minister A. K. Saseendran gave a petition at a local court here on Wednesday that the minister misbehaved with her.
Sources said that the court recorded her statement in which she said that she met him for an interview related to KSRTC. The minister made sexist gestures at her and later on rang up her several times and made sleaze talks.
The court will consider the case on April 10. Police sources said the case filed by the woman was an attempt to mislead the probe.
“The channel's CEO had already admitted in his apology statement on television that the conversation with the minister was part of a sting operation,” said a police officer.
Though the woman, a defendant in a case registered in connection with the honey-trap, was earlier summoned by the special team she did not turn up citing medical reasons.
Meanwhile, the five journalists arrested on Tuesday in connection with the case were produced before the magistrate at his residence and remanded to judicial custody. They were not taken to court following reports that the advocates may create trouble.
Mangalam TV chief executive officer R. Ajith Kumar, co-ordinating editor M. B. Santosh, investigation team leader K. Jayachandran alias S. Narayanan, news editors and readers Firoz Saly Mohammed and S. V. Pradeep were remanded. The police also sought the custody of Mr Kumar and Mr Jayachandran for evidence collection. Bail applications of the five would come up on Thursday.
