THOOTHUKUDI: The Rajya Sabha (RS) member L. Sasikala Pushpa, who was expelled from the AIADMK for anti-party activities, is alleged to have sexually harassed her servant maid, a widow.
Banumathi (22) wife of late Karuppasamy of Anaikudi village near Thisayanvillai in Tirunelveli district, submitted a petition to the Thoothukudi additional district superintendent of police Kanthasamy against the RS member on Monday, alleging that since she joined as servant maid in 2011 at the MP’s Annanagar house in Chennai, she was severely beaten up by Sasikala Pushpa who forced her to do oil massages.
Banumathi also complained that Sasikala Pushpa’s husband, Lingeswara Thilagan and son Pradeep Raja (18) harassed her sexually. When she attempted to escape, the MP’s mother T Gowri “caught her and cut her hair so that she would not escape again”. “Sasikala Pushpa, along with her husband and mother, beat me and threatened to kill me if I complained against them,” said Banumathi, whose elder sister, Jhansi Rani also worked as a servant maid at Sasikala’s house since 2013.
The latter too alleged having been ‘sexually tortured’ by the MP’s husband. Both sisters added that they were sacked in August 2015 on the condition that they should not reveal what had happened to them.
“Fearing Sasikala Pushpa’s political power I remained quiet all these days. Now, I have got the courage to submit a petition against her as other persons affected by her have also come out against her in public,” said Banumathi, who was accompanied by Jhansi Rani and an AIADMK advocate Jenni.
