Kerala police to probe lewd talk, case on ex-minister AK Saseendran
A special investigation team is likely to be assigned to probe into all petitions related to the incident.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After dilly dallying for a few days, the police has decided to initiate a probe into a set of complaints in connection with the alleged sleaze talk by former minister A.K. Saseendran with a woman. A case is also likely to be registered against Mr Saseendran and Mangalam television channel authorities based on complaints. Chief Minister’s private secretary M.V. Jayarajan told this newspaper that the state police chief would be initiating the necessary steps on a set of complaints regarding the incident. “Already one case was registered at Parappanagadi on the basis of a girl’s petition that her picture was misused. The state police chief police will take the steps in other petitions pertaining to the incident,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nithin Ambujan, the channel's Thrissur correspondent, quit on Thursday saying the channel's failure to explain the doubts over its report on Mr Saseendran has made his stay untenable. He is the second journalist to quit in as many days, after Al Neema Ashraf, a sub-editor, quit on Wednesday on the same issue. Sources said that a decision regarding the probe was delayed as the state police chief Loknath Behera was out of station. He was expected to return by Thursday night and take a decision. A special investigation team is likely to be assigned to probe into all petitions related to the incident.
Congress MLA Anil Akkara was the first to lodge a petition seeking a probe against Saseendran after registering a case against him on charges of sleaze talk with a woman. The petition was filed on Sunday and state police chief had subsequently sought legal opinion. The Nationalist Youth Congress (NYC) state president Mujeeb Rahuman lodged a petition with the state cyber police seeking action against the channel for telecasting the report knowing that it contained obscenity. He also alleged conspiracy involving a woman staff of the channel and also sought action for cyber defamation, cyber stalking, hacking and forgery. Apart from these, Network of Women In Media India, a group of women in media profession, on Wednesday urged the Chief Minister to conduct a judicial investigation into the incident.
