Kerala writer faces second sexual harassment case

KOZHIKODE: Even as noted author and social activist Civic Chandran is at large and awaiting a court order on his anticipatory bail in a sexual harassment case, another woman writer has lodged a similar complaint against him.

In her plea filed before the Koyilandi police here on Friday, the woman writer accused Chandran of making sexual advances during a book exhibition in the town in February 2020.

A second case was filed against Chandran based on this complaint, police said.

It was late last week that a woman writer, belonging to a Scheduled Tribe community, had approached law enforcers alleging sexual harassment by the author.

The complainant had accused Chandran of misbehaviour amounting to sexual misconduct during a book release function held in April.

Since then, he had been continuously disturbing her over the phone, the complainant had alleged.

Acting on the complaint, police had registered a case for sexual offence besides another case under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

However, police could not register his arrest as Chandran had absconded.

Meanwhile, a court here on Saturday posted its orders in the anticipatory bail petition, moved by the accused, for August 2.