DYFI leader alleges sex abuse by legislator

Palakkad: Shornur MLA and CPM leader P.K. Sasi has embarrassed the party with a woman DYFI leader alleging that he had sexually abused her in a party office a few weeks ago.

Though the state leadership feigned ignorance about it and the MLA denied the charge, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechuri on Tuesday acknowledged receiving a complaint from the woman. He told mediapersons in Delhi that he had forwarded it to the state unit for inquiry. Later, the state leadership also confirmed receiving the complaint.

The victim had sent an email to a few central committee leaders with the scanned copy of the written complaint which  she had submitted to the district and the state leaders two weeks ago.

She approached the central leadership as there was no proper response from the district and state leaders.

The complainant, who is also a district-level functionary here, has given the telephonic conversations the MLA had with her to prove her allegations, it is learnt.

The alleged incident took place inside the Mannarkkad area committee office of the party in the second week of August when the woman and the MLA were alone in a room.

CPM district secretary C.K. Rajendran said on Tuesday that he had not received any complaint from the woman.

Central committee member K. Radhakrishnan, who took part in the district committee meeting held here on Tuesday, said that the committee members in Palakkad had no clue about the matter.

Palakkad DCC vice-president Sumesh Achuthan told mediapersons that he had learnt that the woman had complained to the Mannarkkad CI.

“But the cops, instead of registering a first information report (FIR), rang up the MLA and they were told that the matter will be settled within the party. The DYFI leadership, which claims to uphold progressive views, must take up the issue legally without trying to settle it within the party,” he said.

The close relatives of the MLA and the leaders of the district committee of the DYFI had tried their best to hush up the matter and offered the victim Rs 1 crore and a top party post, he alleged.

Mr Sasi, meanwhile, told mediapersons that he had overcome several such challenges in his political life and that he was ready to face any inquiry over any complaint.

“These are the handiwork of some persons who want to destroy me. The public and the media know me well. The allegation is baseless,” he said.