T'PURAM: In the wake of misogynist remarks made by Congress MP K Muraleedharan against her, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran on Tuesday lodged a complaint with Museum police seeking legal action against him. She along with her personal staff went to the police station with a complaint stating that Muraleedharan had insulated her womanhood and made derogatory remarks. However, the police has not registered any case as of now.
According to police, they will seek legal opinion whether to register a case or not. Meanwhile, Muraleedharan expressed regret over the issue and told reporters that the remarks were not intentional and he had only tried to highlight the corruption in the corporation.
Muraleedharan, the MP from Vadakara, landed in a controversy during the protest strike led by DCC president Palode Ravi pertaining to the revenue scam involving the staff of the corporation in front of the corporation office on Monday. Muraleedharan had said "She is looking beautiful. But what comes out of her mouth is some words which are more terrible than the famed "Kodungallur Bharani" songs. Arya Rajendran is sitting on the same chair where prominent persons like MP Padmanabhan sat. So let me humbly say one thing to them. All we have to do is tell them not to sing the song "Kanakasimhasanathil" from the movie Arakkallan Mukkalkallan."
Mayor on Tuesday told reporters that she would proceed with legal action against Muraleedharan. "These remarks are not against the Mayor. I am looking it as a remake against a citizen. I grew up from a middle-class family and hence I could overcome all these. In fact, these issues make me move forward further strongly, " Arya said.
Key person arrested
The city police have arrested one more culprit and former staff of the corporation who were involved in swindy revenue money around Rs 26. 7 lakh. S Shanthi, former superintendent of Nemom zonal office, was arrested after she was summoned by the police as her anticipatory bail was rejected. The police said she was traced to a relative's house and she was summoned to the station. With this, the total arrests pertaining to the revenue scam rose to four. Three more staff are still at large. Opposition BJP councillors and UDF councillors have been staging protests at the corporation office for the last one month demanding the arrest of all the culprits.
Shanthi is involved in embezzling around Rs 26.7 lakh along with another staff member Sunitha at the zonal office This is the major fund scam reported at a zonal office. A total of seven staff of three zonal offices - Nemom, Sreekaryam and Attipra are involved in the scam to the tune of Rs 33.96 lakh.
All of the seven staff were earlier suspended by the city corporation after the Kerala State Audit Department’s concurrent audit found that money received as taxes was misappropriated by the employees of the Nemom, Sreekaryam and Attipra zonal offices of the corporation.
The fraud was first detected at the Sreekaryam office. Two staff, office attendant Biju and bill collector Anil are accused of diverting Rs 5.04 lakh from Sreekaryam office.
Later, similar fraud was reported at Nemom and Attipra zonal offices. The staff of Sreekaryam office had reportedly used two challans instead of one while depositing the daily collection at the bank.